


Hot for Teacher

by shadowmaat



Series: Crechemaster Obi [1]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Creche Master Obi-Wan, M/M, Teacher AU, minor dental-related blood loss (involving a minor), minor swearing (but not minors swearing)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-06-08 02:12:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15233106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowmaat/pseuds/shadowmaat
Summary: Based off a sillytrope mashupwherein Obi-Wan never became a Knight but instead wound up going into the Teacher Corp and becoming a Creche Master. All he wants to do is take his kids to the museum, but the Council orders him to take along some clone troopers, namely Commander Cody and members of Ghost Squadron. Cody and Obi-Wan are mutually fascinated with each other, but Obi-Wan seems oblivious to Cody's attempts to flirt. And then, of course, just because Obi-Wan isn't a full Jedi doesn't mean he's any less of a trouble magnet.





	1. Chapter 1

When the Council had first insisted that Crechemaster Obi-Wan take a squad of clone troopers with him on his field trip to the Museum of Light on Tandis Four, he’d balked. Why in the world would a group of armed soldiers be required to protect a group of younglings in an art museum? Perhaps to protect the art from the younglings, but Gurrcat Clan was well behaved. Unless sweets were involved.

His complaints, however, fell on deaf ears, and he soon found himself saddled with members of Ghost Company. They belonged to the 212th Battalion and were on Coruscant while their general, Master Finik Stronzo recovered from an injury in the field. Obi-Wan memorized their files, wondering why the comments section had been redacted. “Operational-security” seemed a little far fetched, but if he couldn’t gain any insight into the men who had been assigned to him then he’d simply have to work harder to get to know them himself. Which was a lesson he taught his younglings anyway.

The morning of the outing found Obi-Wan leading Gurrcat Clan through the halls of the Temple to the hangar to meet their ship… and their new companions. The younglings followed behind him, paired with their “travel buddies” and whispering back and forth. He felt a tug on his robe and glanced back.

“Um, Master Obi?” Mur Jemini, one of the few humans in the clan, stared up at him, eyes wide, her Miralukan friend Jenec only a few paces behind.

“Yes, Mur? Did you forget something?” Someone always managed to forget something; himself included.

“No, no,” she said, casting a quick glance at Jerec. “I- we- were just wondering, are we really gonna meet some clones?”

The chatter quieted and he could almost hear all of them listening to him.

“You really are.” Smiling he reached down to touch the puff of her black hair.

He’d sat down to explain to them what was happening and why. He knew that some creche masters preferred to keep their charges as insulated as possible, but in his opinion that did more harm than good. He was as honest with them as he could be, but hadn’t quite counted on their level of interest on this one. Meeting “real live” clones had quickly replaced “going to the actual Museum of Light” as the most exciting part of this trip. Or, in Snowy’s case, getting to eat a wider variety of food.

“Remember to be respectful,” he warned them as they rounded the corner to the hangar. “Clones are people, too, and they deserve to be treated as such.”

“Yes, Master Obi,” the chorused.

The ship was waiting for them. As were the clones. There were a few awed exclamations at the seven armored men standing in rigid formation, but Obi-Wan held back a sigh at the sight of them. He had a feeling this was going to be a long trip.

One of the soldiers broke formation and marched over, saluting Obi-Wan.

“Commander CC-2224, reporting for duty with Ghost Company, General, Sir.”

He couldn’t quite hide his wince. This was one of the many things that bothered him about taking clones with him.

“There’s no need for such formality, Commander,” he said, plastering on a smile. “I’m only a Crechemaster, not a general. You can call me Obi-Wan, or if you prefer, ‘Master Obi.’ That’s what the younglings call me.”

There was a slight tilt to the helmet. “As you wish, sir. Would you like to inspect the troops?”

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows shot up. “Inspect? I don’t think there’s any need for that, but I wouldn’t mind an introduction,” he said. “And if you and your men wouldn’t mind removing your helmets I know that Gurrcat Clan is excited to meet you all as well.”

He heard the familiar whistle Wesk made when she got excited as well as several “yes pleases” from the others. The men behind Commander CC-2224 turned their heads and waited.

“Of course, sir.”

The Commander reached up and unclasped his helmet, revealing a dark face and cropped black hair. A scar snaked around his left eye and another curved along his jaw. His expression seemed… guarded.

Behind him the other clones followed suit and Obi-Wan took a moment to marvel at their creativity; they might all be from the same template, but they found their own ways to be individuals.

“That’s much better, thank you.” He smiled again. “If it isn’t too much of an imposition, Commander…” He hesitated. “I’m aware that many clones choose names for themselves. If you and your men have any are comfortable sharing those with us, we’d be honored to use them.”

The Commander scrutinized him, but a whispered argument among the younglings about how many twos were in his designation had his mouth twitching into a smile.

“It’s Cody, sir,” he said.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Cody,” Obi-Wan said, reaching out to grasp his arm in a Mandalorian-style handshake. Cody seemed surprised, but a quick gesture had the other clones joining him.

“Allow me to introduce you to Waxer, Boil, Wooley, Five-Eight, and Porg.”

Each clone nodded, saluted, or waved as their name was called.

“Thank you, gentlemen. I’m glad to meet all of you as well. Now, allow me to introduce you all to Gurrcat Clan.”

The kids crowded forward and out of deference the clones knelt to provide easier contact. Obi-Wan named everyone off in order of proximity starting with the Bothan Wesk, who was attempting to crawl into Waxer’s lap, and ending with the Besalisk Helt, who was clinging to the back of his robe with all three hands. Mur was running careful fingers along one of Cody’s scars and looking upset while Jenec and Porg seemed fascinated with each other.

“Alright, children,” Obi-Wan said. “Find your travel buddy and line up to board the ship.”

The younglings scrambled into place. So did the clones. Obi-Wan hid a smile as he led them onto the ship and made sure everyone was buckled in. Well, made sure Gurrcat Clan was; the troopers, he was certain, could handle themselves.

“Gen- ah, Crechemaster Kenobi,” Cody said, taking the seat next to him. “I was wondering if now would be a good time to coordinate our plans?”

“Plans?” He leaned a little closer as the Commander pulled up a holo display of the museum’s layout. “We’re just going to look at the displays, Commander Cody, we’re not laying siege.” He chuckled. “Then again I suppose ten excitable younglings could be seen as a small invasion of sorts.”

He saw the corners of Cody’s mouth curve into a quickly-stifled smile and wondered what had been done that left him afraid to relax. Whatever it was he decided he was going to do his best to help the Commander- and his men- have a little fun. Even if it was likely that this was meant to be a punishment mission for them it didn’t mean that Obi-Wan had to treat it as such.

He spent the next while conferring with Cody over his plans to visit the various wings of the museum, the special shows he was hoping to catch, and a little more background on the younglings themselves, all of whom had their own quirks that had seen them sorted into Obi-Wan’s clan.

He caught Cody studying him, but when he tilted his head in inquiry the Commander looked away and busied himself with his datapad. Shrugging it off for the time being, Obi-Wan dug into his pack and pulled out the snack bags he’d prepared.

Snowy was the first to notice, the young wookiee’s head whipping around, nostrils flaring. Her warble cut through all the chatter.

“Snacktime!” her translator intoned.

“Remain seated,” Obi-Wan warned as there was an immediate rush towards him. He had them pass the bags down their rows. Everyone got a mix of fruit slices, veggie sticks, and in some cases jerky. Plus, of course, cookies.

He still had bags left when he was done and walked over to where the troopers were sitting. They stopped talking and looked up at him. He cleared his throat, suddenly wondering if this was a bad idea.

“Ah… if you like there are enough snack bags for you as well.”

“You’re bringing us _food?”_ Wooley blurted.

“Does this mean we’re part of Gurrcat Clan?” Waxer asked, only to be elbowed by a frowning Boil.

“They can stay with us in the creche!” Keeku said, and then the Rodian covered her mouth and sank deeper into her seat.

“Yeah! We can make room,” Ilar added, his lekku bouncing with him as he wriggled in his seat.

There was a chorus of agreement until Obi-Wan shushed them.

“You’re welcome to be an honorary member of the Clan, Waxer,” he said, holding out one of the baggies. The trooper accepted it with an unrepentant grin. “All of you are. Though I suspect that you won’t be allowed to stay with us past our return to the Temple.”

The other troopers followed Waxer’s lead and accepted the bags while the younglings expressed their disappointment.

“Master Obi?” Mur waved her hand in the air. “Would it be okay for us to sit with the clones, please?”

“Please?” Jenec echoed. Snowy hooted the same.

“That would be up to them,” Obi-Wan said.

Ghost Company found itself subjected to the combined wide-eyed pleading of Gurrcat Clan. The clones spread out and welcomed them over and Obi-Wan was almost trampled in the rush. He made it back to his seat only to find it already occupied by Rana, whose wide red eyes were focused on Cody as she spun out a heavily-embroidered account of the time she saved one of her crechemates from drowning in one of the Temple’s many pools.

“Did you happen to mention that you were the one who pushed him in?” Obi-Wan teased.

Rana’s pale green skin darkened. “It was an accident,” she said, voice buzzing more than usual.

Obi-Wan didn’t say anything. She fidgeted.

“One of my brothers tried to push me off the platform during training back on Kamino,” Cody said. “A thousand meter drop into the ocean below.”

Rana’s mouth dropped open as she stared at him. Obi-Wan realized he was staring, too. There was a gleam in Cody’s eyes as he continued.

“Luckily I managed to sidestep. And then caught him before _he_ fell off.” He winked.

“Wow,” Rana said, clasping her hands in front of her. “That’s amazing!”

“It is indeed,” Obi-Wan agreed. “I’m glad no one was seriously hurt. Especially yourself, Commander.”

There was something almost calculating in the look Cody gave him, but it was dismissed with a quick shrug.

“Just a day in the life of a clone, sir.”

Obi-Wan hummed, not liking the implications of the answer but unable to contradict it.

“Rana, why don’t you go and check on Helt and Ariela for me,” he said, indicating two of the younglings who weren’t bombarding the other clones with questions. Helt was reading something on his datapad and Ariela was slumped against him, holding his malformed hand.

“Awww, do I hafta?” Rana whined. “I wanna say and talk to Commander Cody!” She patted his arm where it rested on the space between the two seats.

“Showing concern for the welfare of your clanmates is good practice,” he said. “And I’d like to talk to the Commander, myself, if that’s alright.”

Rana looked from him to Cody and back again and grinned. “Oh, I get it! Okay, Master Obi! Good luck!”

And then she was scrambling over Cody into the aisle and heading to check on her friends. What she meant, he had no idea.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody isn't sure what to make of Obi-Wan, but he does have a few ideas he'd like to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sharp-eyed readers will note that "Crechemaster" is now one word. Both ways are acceptable, but having them separated was bugging me. I'll correct it in the previous chapter, too.

Was it a Jedi thing or did all natural-born younglings have an uncanny sense about certain situations? Cody moved his legs aside as Crechemaster Kenobi sat back down beside him.

“Please forgive young Rana,” Kenobi said. “She’s burdened with a very active imagination.”

“She’s quite the storyteller.” Cody leaned back in his seat, trying to watch without being too obvious about it.

He’d read all the briefs, of course; they all had, but somehow Kenobi still wasn’t what he’d been expecting. The instructors on Kamino had been harsh and focused. There was no room for coddling in their schedules and while all of their nutrient needs were met it tended to be in the form of pastes and bricks.

Kenobi, meanwhile, seemed to tend to the needs of each of the individuals in his care as if they were, well, individuals. A touch of the shoulder here, a few reassuring words there, even dropping to his knees to hug the Rodian girl, who seemed like she was afraid of everything.

And then there were the snack bags. It should have been funny watching him hand out little treats to the troopers, but Cody had felt a rush of warmth at the sight. Here was someone who not only remembered the troopers were there but went out of his way to include them. He’d seen the delight on the faces of his brothers as they opened their bags. The contents hardly mattered (although Waxer, he noticed, jammed the whole cookie into his mouth first thing), but the mere fact that they’d been  _ given something _ without any sort of expectations, as if it hadn’t even occurred to him  _ not  _ to include them made his chest hurt. Kenobi was about as far from Stronzo as you could get and still be a Jedi and Cody was beginning to think this assignment might not be such a punishment after all.

Kenobi cleared his throat and held up the last snack bag, looking a bit sheepish as he did. Cody arched a brow.

“I know it isn’t much, Commander, especially considering the dietary needs of you and your men, but it’s yours if you want it.”

That funny feeling was back in his chest. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to follow Kenobi into hell or just find a quiet corner and frip him silly, but he had the uneasy feeling it might be both. Maintaining eye contact he reached out, brushing his fingers against Kenobi’s as he took the bag.

“Thank you, sir,” he said, delighted to note the spots of color that suffused the Jedi’s cheeks.

“Think nothing of it, Cod- ah, Commander,” he stumbled, the color growing more pronounced. “It’s the very least I can do for you and your men.” His smile was lopsided and amusement danced in his eyes as he continued. “After all, I’m sure a trip to the museum is far from what you would consider an ideal assignment.”

“I admit it isn’t within our usual purview,” Cody said, “but sometimes a little  _ cultural stimulation _ is good for the soul, don’t you think?” 

It was a risky thing to say and in normal circumstances he’d never take a chance, but he decided to play his hunch.

“Ah, yes, that’s- that’s one way to put it I suppose.” Kenobi nodded, the curve of hair on the front of his head swaying with him. He leaned closer. “Did you know that the Museum of Light houses one of the last surviving imprints of Izi-”

A wail interrupted him. Both their heads snapped up. One of the twi’lek kids had a hand clapped over their mouth, which was bleeding.

“Oh, kriff, I broke him!” Five-Eight’s voice was an octave higher than usual. “I’m sorry, sir! I’m sorry!”

Cody and Kenobi were already headed for them.

“Now, now, Ilar,” Kenobi said, his voice soft. “Why don’t you show me what happened?”

“He leaned forward, sir, and smacked himself on my armor and-” Five-Eight broke off as Kenobi raised his hand. Cody felt a flutter of panic, himself, imagining another black mark on his team’s file. They couldn’t get much lower than this.

“Muh toof,” Ilar said around his hand.

“Spit,” Kenobi said, palm out.

The young twi’lek leaned forward and spit a blood-and-saliva-covered tooth into the waiting hand.

“I’m sorry, sir.” Five-Eight was standing, wringing his hands. “I didn’t catch him in time! Please, don’t report me!”

“That’s quite alright, Five-Eight.” Kenobi smiled at him. “Ilar’s going to be fine, aren’t you, Ilar?”

Ilar made a wavering sound of uncertainty. Kenobi reached into a pocket and pulled out a lollipop, causing the kid’s eyes to light up.

“Thank ‘oo,” he said, tearing off the wrapper and sticking the candy in his mouth before returning to lean against Five-Eight’s leg. The trooper froze in place.

“That tooth has been loose for a while, now,” Kenobi told him, straightening. “It was only a matter of time before it fell out, but the bacta pop should help, right Ilar?”

“Uh huh!” Ilar nodded vigorously and offered Five-Eight a bloody grin. “Can we hear the resh of the story, pwease?”

Kenobi pinched the bridge of his nose. “No talking with your mouth full, please.”

Ilar removed the lolly and repeated his question. Five-Eight looked to Cody for help, who looked to Kenobi for answers.

“You’re welcome to continue your story,” Kenobi said, pulling a cloth from another pocket to wipe his hand and wrap the tooth. “Although I believe Captain Stath mentioned he’d be accepting visitors- one at a time- in the cockpit.”

This was welcomed with cheers. Ilar hopped up and down, making his lekku bounce, and Cody wondered if he wasn’t destined to lose another tooth. Judging by Five-Eight’s wary look he wasn’t the only one thinking it.

All of the younglings (and Porg) got a chance to sit up front with Captain Stath, who was on loan from ExplorCorp, a branch of the Jedi Service Corp dedicated to exploring the far reaches of the universe. Kenobi said he thought it was important for the younglings to know that they had other options than just being a Knight. Cody couldn’t help wondering if he’d somehow been partnered with a heretic. Not that he was complaining.

He and Kenobi spent the rest of the flight chatting about this and that, with occasional interruptions from this or that youngling needing reassurance or wanting to show off something they’d learned from the clones. It occurred to him a bit too late that maybe he should have gone over what was and was not appropriate to discuss with Jedi younglings, but Kenobi seemed pleased with everything so maybe he was being overcautious. His attempts to test the waters met with mixed results, mostly because he was having a hard time figuring out if Kenobi was responding in kind or if that was just his way and it was all sailing over his pretty ginger head.

Docking went smoothly. The clones debarked first to “secure the perimeter,” not that it needed any securing. Kenobi got the kids paired up in lines with practiced ease and they followed him down the ramp like inquisitive ducklings.

“Can we keep him, sir?” Porg asked, leaning closer.

“He asked for our names,” Wooley said. “And remembered them! I bet if we went into battle with him he’d make sure we all came back out, too!”

“Not hard to do better than Stronzo,” Waxer said. “But I’m more interested in-” He made a crude hand gesture that earned a swat from Boil and an eyeroll from Wooley. Porg grinned at him and Five-Eight looked uncertain, but Cody wasn’t sure if it was lack of interest or just his being too shiny to know what the gesture meant.

“Behave yourselves, men,” Cody said. “There are children present.  _ Natural-born _ children,” he amended.

The children in question made a mad dash for their favorite clone when Kenobi announced that each pair of “travel buddies” would be assigned a guard. After much arguing, two tantrums, a meltdown that involved one of the humans biting the wookiee, and, of all things,  _ negotiations _ , the split-ups were settled in a way that left most of them satisfied. Cody himself was labeled off-limits, much to everyone’s disappointment, though he was pretty sure he caught a smirk from the Duros girl Rana when Kenobi announced that  _ he _ would be Cody’s “travel buddy.” Waxer  repeated his earlier gesture before they all donned their helmets and he studiously ignored it.

The next hurdle turned out to be getting into the museum itself. Kenobi and the younglings had been expected, but the clones had not, and while the staff person in charge was willing to allow them in they were adamant that weapons be left at the door. Or at least they were adamant until Kenobi started talking.

Flirting was as natural as breathing to him, Cody decided as he watched Kenobi charm, flatter, and coax the zabrak official into adding them to the ticket. He was as deft with his words as most Jedi were with their lightsabers, although he had one of  _ those _ strapped to his belt, too, and Cody half-wished he could see him in action. It was a wish he’d later regret.


	3. Chapter 3

Obi-Wan was angry at the Council and embarrassed on behalf of the troopers assigned to him. If the Council was so determined to punish him with a small squad of soldiers (not that it was turning out to be much of a punishment so far) the least they could have done was clear it with the Museum. Cody and his men had been very patient so far and put up with a lot of awkward questions and pestering from Gurrcat Clan, but to tell soldiers they had to disarm? Especially when he himself was welcome to carry a lightsaber about the premises? It was insulting and he was having none of it.

It took some time, but he managed to make the museum official see things his way and the clones were granted permission to remain armed. Not that he thought they’d need to  _ use _ their weapons, of course, but it was the principle of the thing. The fact that Assistant Director Hosh seemed to expect them to cause trouble just because they were clones was galling as well, and he was definitely going to mention that fact in his final report. Not that anyone at the Temple would bother to read it, but at least it would be there. Next time, perhaps, he’d pick a more open-minded museum.

At last they were all in and Obi-Wan paused to take a deep breath. The interior of the museum lived up to its name as most of the ceiling was transparisteel, allowing in the bright afternoon sun. Some sections were colored to produce a stained glass effect that created its own art on the floors and walls. The central area was taken up by a large statue of Shiraya, a moon goddess of Naboo. Crystalline stars floated around her, occasionally bursting into brilliance as they caught a beam of sunlight.

Crechelings and clones alike stared at their surroundings and Obi-Wan gave them a few minutes to take it all in. Holographic avians swooped among the eaves as piped-in birdsong added to the air of tranquility.

“What do you think, Commander?” He leaned in resting a hand on Cody’s arm. “Not bad for a soft assignment, hmm?”

Cody’s helmet tilted down, the dark crimson marks giving him an unexpectedly somber cast. He felt a brush of gloved fingers against his knuckles.

“I’d take your ‘soft assignments’ every day, if I could.”

He felt the skin of his neck prickle and ducked his head. Was he…? But no, the answer was likely far more obvious.

“Ah, well, yes, I- I suppose it’s better than being on a battlefield.” He sighed, wishing once again that there was something he could do to help.

“Yeah, that, too,” Cody said as Obi-Wan gathered the attention of his crechelings again. Or that’s what it sounded like. It could easily have been the background noise from the museum itself. He decided not to think about it.

He started up the tour droid, made sure everyone was where they were supposed to be, and let the museum work its magic. Although as it turned out the clones themselves worked some magic of their own. The children, who could normally be quite a handful in a public setting, felt that it was their duty to show the clones everything, which included the exhibits they were there to see, a shiny bug that was crawling on the floor, an elaborately-dressed human woman, the shadow of a statue, and a discolored patch of stone in the wall.

The other patrons of the museum (excluding the easily-offended human woman) seemed charmed by the spectacle they made as they wove their way through the museum. Numerous holos were taken and he was fairly sure he saw someone slip Boil their comm number.

Cody was a calm presence by his side throughout and Obi-Wan made sure to point out some of his favorite pieces along the way. Including the one he’d tried to mention earlier.

“It’s one of the last surviving fragments of Izi poetry,” he said, stopping before a flat stone tablet carved in glyphs. “It tells the tale of two lost souls who find each other in the midst of a war. It’s really quite beautiful, as far as it goes.”

“As far as it goes?” Cody prompted.

Obi-Wan smiled at him. “Yes, well, you see, it’s only a fragment, so no one knows how it ends. Do the lovers stay together or does the war tear them apart again?”

Cody took a half-step closer and Obi-Wan found himself tensing. In anticipation of what, he didn’t know.

Whatever answer he might have given was interrupted by the sound of screaming.

Obi-Wan immediately checked the younglings, but they and their clone guardians were turning back towards the entrance. Blaster fire joined the screams and the walls reflected a tinny call of “Roger! Roger!”

“Clankers!” Cody swore and turned to face his men. “Get the kids to cover!”

“Clank- battle droids?!” Obi-Wan stared. “But this is a _museum!”_

“Tell that to them!” Cody gestured towards the flood of patrons and staff heading their way. The metal forms of the droids could be seen behind them.

Ghost Company was already in motion, herding the kids towards an enormous ornately-carved table Obi-Wan knew was made from Mandalorian beskar. He joined them and helped to flip the table onto its side, providing an effective shield for the younglings to hide behind.

“I need you all to listen to the troopers and do as they say, alright?” He smiled. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Are we gonna die?” Keeku asked, her snout wobbling.

Obi-Wan gave her a hug that was soon joined by the rest of the clan.

“Of course not,” he said, trying to project as much reassurance as he could into the Force. “You have the best troopers in the GAR to watch over you. And if those, ah, ‘clankers’ try to get to you they’ll have to go through _me,_ first.” He stood, unhooking his lightsaber and igniting it in time to deflect a stray blaster shot.

“Sir! Get down!” Wooley said, firing back at the droids. Porg and Five-eight were propping open one of the service doorways to help the overflow of people while Waxer and Boil stood guard in front of the table.

“This table dates from the time of the Mandalorian Wars!” The voice of the tour droid sounded stressed. Wesk had a firm grip on it to keep it from floating off. “It’s rumored to have been used by Mandalore the Ultimate, himself!”

“Yes, and it’s about to be used by us as well,” Obi-Wan said, leaping over it to land beside the two troopers. “Gurrcat Clan, stay here and  _ stay down. _ ”

With that he took off running after Cody, who was forging his way ahead to pick off the droids.

“General- I mean, wait!” Waxer yelled. Obi-Wan ignored him.

He knew that many in the Order tended to think of Crechemasters as being “soft” and in some cases they’d be right, but he’d kept up his saber training all through his stint in the EduCorp and as often as he could after. It was good exercise, helped keep both mind and body balanced, and, of course, in a worst-case scenario, he’d be able to protect the younglings in his care. Just like now.

Another Force-assisted leap and he was shearing through a droid getting ready to take a shot at Cody. Cody whipped around, blaster aimed right at him.

“Dammit, Gen- Obi-Wan!” He turned again, taking out two droids with one blast. “Get out of here! This is no place for a civvie!”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m also a Jedi.” Obi-Wan grinned at him. 

As nervous as he was, there as something almost enlivening about the situation. While he hadn’t known Ghost Company for long he trusted them with his life and more importantly, the lives of Gurrcat Clan. Getting the service doors opened would only mitigate the problem somewhat, he knew. And from his discussion with Cody on the transport he knew there was at least one hidden egress nearby that Five-Eight would slice in order to get the kids to safety and out of the line of fire. The table had been a nice surprise, but the less time Gurrcat Clan had to spend in the middle of a firefight, the happier he’d be.

He heard the familiar clatter of armor as Porg and Wooley joined them.

“Sir,” Porg said. “Five-Eight has begun slicing. Most of the civvies are out or hiding and Waxer and Boil have the nippers covered!”

“Good,” Cody said. “Let’s cover their retreat, then.”

Obi-Wan felt a warning from the Force right before the ceiling exploded. He flung out his hand and  _ shoved _ as hard as he could, sending the debris- and more droids- flying away from the last of the patrons. The situation had just gone from bad to worse. He hoped the younglings would be okay. He stuffed down a spasm of guilt over not being back there to help them and prepared to fight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more action, a little more pining, and Gurrcat Clan lends a hand, too.

It was a nightmare. It had to be. In all of the scenarios Cody imagined and tried to account for, somehow an actual Separatist attack had never figured into them. And yet here they were. The younglings, at least, were safe for the moment and the civilians were being evacuated, but another thing he hadn’t counted on was Kenobi. The Crechemaster wasn’t content to stay behind the table with the younglings, no, he decided he needed to help. The worst part was that he  _ was _ helping. He dispatched droids like he’d been born to do it and Cody watched him redirect the shattered ceiling and enemy reinforcements away from potential victims.

“Let’s buy Five-Eight some more time, shall we?” Kenobi gave him a rakish grin that had no business being on that face, shrugged out of his robe, and ran into the fray, lightsaber blurring.

Swearing profusely, Cody chased after him, providing cover fire as Kenobi went into action. And what action it was! Kenobi forewent the traditional complicated layers of the Jedi, opting for a style similar to what the younglings themselves wore: simple trousers and a single-piece top stitched together to make it look more complicated than it was. It also lacked sleeves, giving Cody an all-too-good look at those flexing biceps. He all but danced through the field of fire and it sent the clankers into a panic.

“A Jedi!!” One wailed. “No one said there’d be any Jedi!” 

Kenobi spun, beheading it and moving on to the next.

“This was supposed to be easy!” Another complained. “No one was supposed to fight back!”

Cody shot that one and two more trying to take aim at the Jedi. In his ear, the men kept him updated on their own situations. Five-Eight was calling up the service lift hidden behind a false partition that would be able to take them and the younglings to the basement levels. Captain Stath had already been in touch and said he’d have the transport ready and waiting by one of the rear exits. Better yet, when the call went out it was the rest of the 212th that answered. Even though they were still “under observation” they were close enough to render aid and were on their way. 

“General!” He knew Kenobi didn’t like the title, but at the moment it damn well seemed to fit. 

Another Force push sent clankers scattering and Cody wasn’t sure if he should be mad that the Jedi had locked this man away in the creches or relieved because it meant he would- or should- be safer there.

“Obi-Wan!”

That got his attention and he turned to face Cody, casually deflecting a stray blaster bolt as he did. The smoke shifted and a beam of multi-hued sunlight caught him just right, making him seem to glow in shades of gold and blue.

Cody’s mouth went dry. The buzz of a voice in his ear snapped him out of it.

“Fall back!” he ordered. “Fight-Eight’s ready to go!”

Obi-Wan nodded and moved to join him. Wooley and Porg provided additional cover and, on impulse, he bent to scoop up the discarded robe as they passed it. The clankers were busy regrouping and chose not to pursue, though he didn’t expect the reprieve to last for long.

The beskar table was still on its side, but as they ran towards it small heads peeped over it and the younglings cheered, swarming around the edges to join them.

“Other way!” Obi-Wan commanded, and they all turned, streaming towards the new opening in the wall where Five-Eight waited. Waxer and Boil joined them and they all piled into the waiting lift.

The Miralukan girl, Jenec, raised a fist and all the younglings tensed.

“Gurrcat Clan! Roar!”

The clones felt themselves nudged aside as the younglings planted their right feet forward, stretched out their right arms, and roared.

It was a cacophony of noise and Cody was glad for the muffling his helmet provided. At the same time, however, the beskar table launched itself forward, plowing through the clankers just getting organized for their next attack. 

The “roar” changed to cheers as the doors slid shut, but the victory was short lived as one droid managed to scramble into the lift with them.

“I’ve got you- oh, no,” it wailed as Obi-Wan’s saber snapped back to life.

The clones themselves didn’t dare shoot in the close confines, so Cody and the others crouched over the younglings, shielding them with their own bodies.

There was a clatter as the droid dropped its blaster rifle and raised its hands.

“I surrender! I surrender!” Its joints rattled as it shook.

Cody could see Kenobi’s expression and braced to deflect molten pieces of droid, but then one of the kids hiccuped and the Jedi blinked, relaxing his stance.

“Very well, then. Commander, secure the prisoner.”

“What?” Cody wondered if his helmet was malfunctioning.

“What?” The droid sounded just as confused as he did.

“This is no place for a fight and he did surrender, didn’t you?”

“Yes! Yes! I did!” The droid’s head bobbled in rapid agreement. “I surrender!”

“There you have it.” Kenobi smiled.

_ “Did he hit his kriffing head?” _ Boil asked over the comm.

_ “You can’t take a clanker prisoner!” _ Wooley demanded.

_ “Maybe because of the nippers?” _ Five-Eight sounded uncertain.

Cody shook his head. “How do you want me to secure him, sir?”

“Oh! Here!” The pale-skinned human whose name he thought might be Ariela, pulled a ribbon out of their hair and held it out.

“That isn’t-”

Ah, Padawan Ariela,” Kenobi interrupted, accepting the ribbon. “Thank you so much for offering the Commander the use of your explosive restraining cord.”

Cody choked down a laugh. The kids showed no such restraint, giggling at him while Ariela stared, goggle-eyed.

“Explosive?!” The droid’s voice wavered. “I don’t want to explode!”

“Then don’t try to escape and you should be fine.” Kenobi winked as he handed Cody the ribbon.

He managed not to drop it and set about “securing” the prisoner just as the lift lurched to a stop. 

The doors opened to reveal a cavernous storage area.

“Floor plan says the exit should be this way,” Porg said, pointing.

“Alright then, troop, let’s move out!” 

As Kenobi strode past him to take the lead Cody pulled the robe off his shoulder and offered it to him. The smile he got in return warmed him right through, as did the murmured “thank you.”

They might all make it out of this alive, but he knew he was in trouble where the Crechemaster was concerned. Deep, deep trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody may be Hot for Teacher, but the Teacher is realizing he's Hot for Cody as well.

Fighting battle droids was nothing like fighting the training droids in the Temple. Knowing Cody and his brothers had his back had been a big confidence boost, but Obi-Wan had spent most of his time fighting being terrified that one of them or one of the younglings would be hurt. Thankfully everyone had come through the ordeal fine, although his feelings about Cody had grown increasingly unsettled. 

There was no denying the man was competent. Seeing him in action had been breathtaking, and the way he seemed to anticipate Obi-Wan’s needs was like a Force-given gift. More than that, though, was how he interacted with others. It wouldn’t have been surprising if he’d remained aloof or even bitter towards Obi-Wan over his assignment, but after the initial awkwardness he’d seemed to relax. There were a few times when his tone had even been teasing. Plus, he was great with the younglings. All the clones were. Which stood to reason, perhaps, given that technically they were only a few years older than his young charges. Yet another terrible detail about the clones that so often got swept under the carpet.

With some effort, Obi-Wan dragged his thoughts back to his current predicament. They’d made it back to their ship with relative ease, due in large part to Captain Stath’s cavalier disregard for things like air traffic laws and physics. Most of the younglings whooped in delight at the abrupt takeoff and acrobatics. A few clung to Obi-Wan and he himself clung to Cody, who weathered it with a good-natured smile.

The clones had removed their helmets as soon as they were on board and while most of the more nervous members of Gurrcat Clan had stuck with him, a few clung to their favorite clones like burrs. Waxer was cradling Nolaa in his arms while talking to Boil while the small twi’lek slowly fell asleep. Wooley was looking furry at the moment with Snowy wrapping herself around him, all honey-gold and grumbling.

Obi-Wan had given up on the seats and found a spot on the floor, making it easier for the young ones to gather around him. Or gather around him and Cody, who had joined him. Rana was asleep in his lap and Wesk was fast on the way to joining her, hugging Cody’s arm to his chest.

Another detachment of the 212th had shown up as they were exiting the atmosphere, promising to clean up Cody’s “mess” for him and thanking him for saving some of the “fun” for them. Cody’s smile had looked tired but genuine and Obi-Wan had been pleased to see some of the lines of stress fade from around his eyes.

Now safely in hyperspace and on the way home Obi-Wan found himself facing a different sort of dilemma. He tilted his head to one side, watching Cody as the Commander told the two still (barely) awake younglings a clone bedtime story. Each character had their own voice and he was doing expressions, too; the scrunch-faced attempt at innocence of a clone cadet caught out of bounds, the stern flatness of the Kaminoan who caught him, and the unexpected (to him) warm affection of Jango Fett, who came to the cadet’s rescue.

Obi-Wan was mesmerized, and found himself wondering what Cody looked like out of his armor. He could almost picture him in soft sleep pants and a cotton shirt with the neck hanging open, revealing a V of dark skin and the hint of a few chest hairs. He flashed hot and cold, embarrassed by the direction of his thoughts.

Officially the Jedi Order frowned on relationships, viewing them as a form of Attachment and thus Bad. However, the EduCorp, like the other service branches, took a more open-minded view of things and it was flatly impossible to spend any time in the creches and  _ not _ get attached to the younglings in your care.

Others, however… He’d had a few relationships over the years, but the creche was always going to take precedence for him. Not that it mattered in this case, of course. A couple of questionable incidents aside he was fairly sure Cody had no interest in him. Which wasn’t much of a surprise. Whatever Cody’s type was it probably wasn’t a bookish, soft-spoken teacher with a gaggle of younglings. For all he knew, Cody might prefer the company of women. Or might not be romantically inclined at all.

Besides, even if Cody was interested he was still a soldier on assignment, and as soon as they got back to Coruscant he’d be redeployed somewhere else. And until then,  _ he was a soldier on assignment _ and that assignment was Obi-Wan and Gurrcat Clan. With the way the army was structured it meant that Obi-Wan was technically his superior, and while he might be hazy on some of the details of how it all worked, he was pretty sure that getting involved with someone under your command- especially a slave who might be afraid to say “no-” was a terrible idea. He’d never want to put Cody- or anyone else- in that position.

But again, he reminded himself that none of that mattered because Cody was most certainly not interested in him. And really, he himself had more important things to be worrying about right now. Like how he was going to explain to the Council why he’d taken a battle droid prisoner.

The droid in question, who said his ID was B1-7724, but whom the children had inevitably nicknamed Clanky, was currently cocooned in the storage area in the back of the ship. After tying his hands behind his back with the “explosive restraining cord” Cody had disarmed him and Five-Eight had gone over him to check for trackers, transmitters, and the like. He’d disabled the transmitter and then located three separate trackers, including one that contained a remote-triggered explosive. A real one. “Clanky” had been upset to learn about that and had railed on at length about the poor lot of battle droids who were either blown up on the field, blown up by crazy Jedi and their explosive cords, or blown up by their own side for not reporting back on time.

Obi-Wan’s attempts to question him hadn’t netted much useful information beyond the fact that the museum itself was the target, that Jedi interference had not been expected, and that falling through a hole in the ceiling and landing on rubble that included pieces of other droids wasn’t a nice experience.

He closed his eyes and tried to figure out how to explain the past day to the Council. Not just the droid prisoner, but also the battle itself, how commendable Cody and his men had been, how the younglings had stepped in to lend a hand (with, perhaps, some additional strength from their Crechemaster), and some nascent, wishful thought about assigning clone troopers to help with the guarding of the Temple. Or at least the creche.

At some point he realized he’d tipped sideways. His head was resting against Cody’s shoulder pauldron and it would probably be a good idea to move before the Commander got the wrong idea, but then he felt someone nuzzling into his hair and the slightest brush of lips on his forehead.

“Get some sleep, Obi-Wan,” Cody murmured. “I’ve got this watch.”

_ Definitely not interested _ , he thought, before falling asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gurrcat Clan show off their "den" to Cody and his brothers, Obi-Wan's way with words deserts him, and there's still the looming threat of the meeting with the High Council.

The flight back to Coruscant was uneventful, much to Cody’s relief. His brothers teased him about the unconscious Jedi on his shoulder, but he knew it was good-natured, so he let it wash over him. The fact that Obi-Wan trusted him enough to allow it left him feeling a little light-headed. Rana snored in his lap, oblivious, and the pile of younglings heaped around them reminded him a bit of being a cadet. It was… comforting, in a way. He soaked up the feeling while he could and tried to stifle his worries about the upcoming debrief with the Council.

Obi-Wan awoke on his own shortly before they entered Coruscanti airspace.

“Ah, Cody.” He stifled a yawn. “So sorry for using you as a pillow.”

“You’re welcome any time, sir.” Cody shifted the dead weight of the still-sleeping Rana to one side to coax feeling back into his legs.

“Sir?” Obi-Wan arched a brow at him. “And here I’d been so sure we’d managed to get to a first name basis.”

Waxer broke out in a fit of giggles and Boil attempted to smother him. Cody would have turned to glare at him, but he couldn’t look away from that smile.

“...Obi-Wan, then,” he said, finding his voice.

“Good. Now that we’ve settled that I believe that naptime is over.” 

He put his fingers in his mouth and the few younglings already awake clapped their hands over their ears.

The piercing whistle Obi-Wan unleashed had every clone jumping, including Cody. Even the transport wobbled in the air. The formerly-sleeping kids moaned, curled up, or ignored it, depending on their personal tendencies.

“Come on, Gurrkittens! Time to get up!” Obi-Wan hopped to his feet as the transport landed. 

Rana rolled off Cody and stared blankly at the ceiling. When Obi-Wan offered him a hand up, he took it, only to find himself stumbling against the Jedi.

An arm went around his waist, steadying him. “Careful there, Cody.” Obi-Wan tilted his head back to smile up at him. “We can’t have you getting injured  _ now _ , can we?”

Waxer was giggling again as Cody stepped back, murmuring an apology.

“Good,” Rana said, using his leg to climb back onto her feet. “I hoped this would happen.”

Cody ignored her, and to his relief, so did Obi-Wan. 

Between the seven of them they managed to wrangle the younglings into more or less vertical positions, although Obi-Wan had Ariela draped over one shoulder and Waxer and Boil were each cradling a twi’lek. Five-Eight retrieved the droid from the back and the whole lot of them marched down the ramp into the Temple’s main hangar.

Generals Windu and Fisto were waiting for them. Cody’s shoulders cramped with sudden tension and he saw the others reacting in much the same way.

“Crechemaster Kenobi,” Windu’s voice was as sombre as ever as he walked towards them. “I understand you had an eventful trip to the museum.”

“Yes, we did.” Obi-Wan walked right past him. “And I’ll thank you not to rile up the little ones by discussing in here. We’ll be taking them back to the creche and then you can have your report.”

There was a crisp note in his voice and the younglings huddled closer as they crossed the hangar towards the Temple proper.

General Windu stopped short, his expression thunderous. “I merely wanted to inquire if anyone was-”

“Everyone is fine, thank you for your concern.”

“I lost my tooth!” Ilar announced, half-hanging off of Boil as he showed Windu the gap in his gums.

“Congratulations,” Windu deadpanned.

Behind him General Fisto was grinning and making no attempt to hide it.

“So, Obi-Wan, I understand you made a new friend while you were out,” General Fisto said, his  _ ahweys _ shaking with suppressed laughter.

“I made several, Kit.” 

Cody wondered if it was his imagination or if Obi-Wan’s gaze flicked his way when he said that. 

A gesture pulled Five-Eight from the line.

“You’re welcome to ask Clanky all the questions you like while we get the younglings settled,” Obi-Wan said.

“More Jedi??” Clanky tried to stop, but Five-Eight wasn’t letting that stop him, dragging him towards the Nautolan General. “Wait! No! They’re gonna kill me!”

“Can’t Clanky come with us?” Mur asked.

“Yeah, please?” Helt added.

“Don’t kill him!” Jenec whined. “He’s our friend now!”

“I am? I mean, I am! I am their friend!” Clanky nodded vigorously.

Fisto laughed as he received the prisoner. “Clanky, is it? Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of him for you.”

Clanky remained unconvinced by the reassurances and was vocal in his concerns, which only grew when Fisto asked about the hair ribbon binding his wrists. Windu, however, remained focused on Obi-Wan’s group.

“And what of the clones?” The general’s frown was deepening by the moment. “Surely you don’t need an entire team to handle getting one small group of younglings back to the creche.”

Cody winced, wondering if this was the end of the line.

“And yet you seemed to think that an entire team was necessary to handle getting ‘one small group of younglings’ through a museum,” Obi-Wan fired back. “As much as it pains me to admit it, you were right about that, so I think I’ll hold onto them a bit longer, thank you. The children need them.”

Windu looked like he was about to argue, but Fisto clapped a hand on his shoulder.

“We’ll take your droid with us while you get the hatchlings settled, right Mace?” Fisto, at least, was still grinning.

“One hour, Kenobi,” Windu warned before admitting defeat and following Fisto and the unhappy droid out a second doorway.

“That was amazing, sir,” Porg said, giving voice to Cody’s own thoughts.

“What, that?” Obi-Wan paused to set an awake and wriggling Ariela on her feet. “Hardly amazing. Mace knows beeping well that the creche comes first and I’m not about to let him poach any of you, either.”

_ Beeping _ , Cody thought.

“He and Yoda were adamant about having your detachment assigned to me, so as far as I’m concerned you’re still my responsibility.”

Cody could practically  _ see _ the hearts forming in Porg’s eyes. The pilot had had a particularly rough time under Stronzo, so it was nice to see him get a look at what a “good” Jedi was like. It was nice for all of them, really, and Cody wasn’t looking forward to its inevitable end.

The corridors got brighter as they escorted the younglings (or perhaps were led by them) into the crecheling halls where bright murals decorated the walls and occasional streams of younglings came to a dead stop to gawk at the procession. There was a distinct air of smugness among the Gurrcats as they showed the clones where their own rooms were and dragged them inside.

“I’ll be right back,” Obi-Wan whispered in his ear before slipping back out into the halls. 

The younglings hardly noticed. An impromptu and very disorganized tour was going on as they showed the clones their favorite toys, hiding places, the ‘freshers, the closets, the sleeping rooms, and the informal dining bench sized down just for them. Everyone was being gifted with pretty rocks, paintings, and whatever else struck them as treasures worth giving away. Each clone also received a braided friendship bracelet from a communal bucket. Wesk oversaw that part, making sure each of them got one and only one so that it was all fair and no one would feel sad. It was all a little overwhelming, but also touching. The Jedi might preach about the dangers of forming attachments, but clearly those rules didn’t apply here. 

When Obi-Wan returned it was with a tall, pointy-headed Cerean lady wearing paint-spattered robes. The clones immediately came to attention.

“This is Crechemaster Anea,” Obi-Wan said over the shouted greetings from the younglings. “She’ll be in charge while Cody and I are dealing with the Council.”

“Hello, Gurrcat Clan,” Anea said. “And members of the 212th; welcome to the Jedi creches and thank you so much for making sure our young ones- and their troublesome Master- returned to us.” She smiled.

Obi-Wan huffed in mock annoyance. “Since our trip was interrupted rather early I’ve taken the liberty of ordering everyone lunches from the cafeteria.”

The children cheered and hooted. Obi-Wan waited for the noise to die down before continuing.

“I’ve also included means for the troopers since I’m sure they’ve worked up quite an appetite defending us all.”

This was greeted with more cheers from the children. The clones tapped their breastplates in acknowledgement and thanks. It had been a long time since Cody had seen them all so happy and smiling. He almost wished he could join them, especially since Jedi food was likely to be better than military rations, but duty called.

Before they could leave they had to receive goodbye hugs from every child, and in some cases a few kisses as well. Keeku even took his hand and kissed it like a noble before covering her face and running away.

“It seems you’ve made a conquest,” Obi-Wan teased, nudging his shoulder as they stood.

Cody hoped his blush wasn’t too obvious. He went to open the door for Obi-Wan, but the Jedi beat him to it.

“After you, Cody,” he said with a smile.

Loud kissing noises followed them into the hall before the door shut. Cody wasn’t sure which would be worse: if it came from his brothers or if it was from the younglings.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t stay for lunch,” Obi-Wan said, startling him from his thoughts.

“It’s fine.” He shrugged. “I’ve gone longer without food.”

“But you shouldn’t have to.” Obi-Wan sighed. “If there was more time I’d be tempted to take you to this little diner I know. The food there is fantastic and the proprietor is a good friend.”

Cody managed, barely, not to turn and stare. Was he suggesting an actual date? 

As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, Obi-Wan started to stammer.

“I- I mean it would just be a nice chance to- to talk. Without worrying about interruptions. Adult conversations can be hard to come by when you spend most of your time in the creche.” He ran a hand through his hair and offered Cody a quick smile that dropped off his face as he blanched.

“Not that you’d have to!” He added. “I’m not- It isn’t as if I’d ever force- You know, I just thought two friends, maybe…”

It was as if all of Obi-Wan’s effortless charm and way with words had been sucked out the airlock, leaving him floundering. It was strangely adorable.

“I’d like that,” he said, throwing the poor man a lifeline.

“Really? I mean, yes, well, our schedules permitting, of course.” Obi-Wan made a vague gesture with his hands. “I imagine you’ll be far too busy for the likes of me.”

Reality crashed back down around him just as the lift doors opened to reveal the foyer before the High Council Chamber. He swallowed, following Obi-Wan as he walked up to greet the Temple guards.

“You might be surprised,” he muttered under his breath.

The doors opened. The interrogation was about to begin.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up in more ways than one and Obi-Wan makes a stand.

Cody’s shielding was fairly strong, but when their arms brushed upon entering the Council Chamber Obi-Wan picked up a strong undercurrent of worry and wished he could do something to reassure him. It was only a debrief and then they could head back to the creche to check on the younglings and make sure Cody’s brothers didn’t need rescuing from them and then, perhaps, they could find a quiet table at the cafeteria...

The doors clicked shut behind them.

“Crechemaster Kenobi, Commander Cody, how good of you to finally join us,” Mace drawled.

“We’re right on time, as I’m sure you know, Mace,” Obi-Wan said, sticking with his first name out of pique.

Part of him understood that Mace had to be under a lot of stress these days; the Council as a whole vibrated with so much tension that he tended to get a headache if he spent too much time near the upper levels. The rest of him, however, wasn’t going to let that be an excuse for poor manners.

“Eventful your field trip was,” Yoda said, his wrinkles bunching together. “Sorry we were to receive the call.”

“Yes, well.” Obi-Wan rolled his shoulders, hoping to dispel the knot trying to form there. “As I said to Mace earlier, it was lucky that Commander Cody and his men were with us. Their quick action protected the children and undoubtedly saved many other lives as well. Including my own.”

“Helped, they did? Reliable they were?”

“I… yes?” He frowned, thrown off by the question. “Of course they were. Without them I’m not sure I’d have been able to save all the crechelings.” He shivered. The realization was a terrifying one and he was doing his best not to dwell on it, though he had a feeling it might return in his nightmares.

“Word is that you helped as well,” Mace added, his voice dripping with disapproval. “Is that correct?”

He hesitated. Something was wrong, but he had no idea what it was. While he hadn’t had to report to the Council very often the atmosphere had never felt so cold before. He admitted that yes, he had helped since he wasn’t about to sit idly by while his children were in danger and the clones had no backup.

He answered the few questions they asked him and gave his telling of events, adding a few anecdotes that didn’t garner a single smile and making sure they understood just how important the presence of the clones had been, not just during the fighting but before and after as well.

Cody’s version was more concise and included details Obi-Wan himself hadn’t noticed. The Council asked him a lot more questions and their tone was… challenging. Obi-Wan went from numb disbelief to indignation and then outright anger as he realized that they were trying to blame Cody for what happened. It didn’t make any sense and he told them as much only to be rebuffed by Yoda.

“Details we have that you do not,” Yoda said. “Raised, concerns have been, about the loyalty of the 212th.”

That was so far outside his expectations he couldn’t even process it. When the Grandmaster elaborated, saying that General Stronzo had filed _multiple_ reports about Cody and the 212th accusing them of things like laziness, insubordination, and refusal to follow orders, Obi-Wan’s temper flared. He called the accusations garbage, questioned Stronzo’s mental capacity, and was well on his way to implying the same about the Council before Mace reprimanded him.

He tried releasing his anger into the Force, but instead of fading it seemed to cling to him. The whole atmosphere in the Council Chamber felt clouded and dark and he wanted nothing more than to get out of there, but he wasn’t about to leave without Cody. And he certainly wasn’t going to leave the accusations against the 212th unaddressed.

“I’m not familiar with Master Stronzo,” he said, choosing his words more carefully. “But his complaints seem to hold no basis in reality. I’m also not sure I understand why you got me involved in any of this. Especially as you never saw fit to tell me anything beforehand. What, exactly, did you expect me to do?”

“We assigned a detachment to you, including Commander Cody, in order to see how they behaved.” Mace sighed. “It was supposed to be an easy mission for them. A test. And instead you wind up in the middle of a kriffing Separatist plot to demoralize the Republic by destroying the _one museum in the universe_ that you _just happened_ to be in.” He rubbed his temples.

“But they proved themselves,” Obi-Wan said. “Clicking heck, they went above and beyond any reasonable expectations given the situation, so unless things changed drastically after we left then even the museum itself wasn’t a total loss, was it?”

Yoda grunted. “Saved, parts of the museum have been. Upset the curators still are. Blame us they do.” His wrinkled brows rose. “Blame _you_ for bringing clones inside. If elsewhere the troopers had been, then targeted their museum would _not_ have been.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Obi-Wan glanced at Cody, still standing at attention. He’d just begun to memorize the soft curves of that face and the gentle warmth in those eyes and now they were gone, replaced with hard lines and a blank gaze.

“The museum would have been attacked whether we were there or not,” he said. “Having the troopers there _helped_ them. It helped everyone!”

“It’s more complicated than that,” Mace said. He sounded tired.

“It really isn’t, but I suppose it’s asking too much for you to see that.” Obi-Wan frowned. “So what happens now?”

“Now?” Mace shrugged. “Now you go back to your creche and don’t go on any more field trips for a while.”

“What about Cody? And the rest of his brothers?”

“Our business, that is,” Yoda said. “Yours it is not.”

Plo Koon’s hologram leaned forward. “I could take some of them into the 104th,” he said. “Not the whole battalion, of course, but-”

Yoda rapped his stick and glared at Plo, who was too far away to swat. _“Later_ that matter will be!”

Obi-Wan went cold. He risked another look at Cody, who looked smaller and grayer than he had a few minutes ago. His face was pinched and grief was pouring off him.

“You’re… You’re talking about disbanding them? Over nothing?”

“Over politics,” Kit said, his expression severe. “Most of the men will still serve, just in other areas.”

“Politics.” Obi-Wan snorted. “You know, there was a time when the Temple would have done what was _right_ rather than worrying the politics behind it.” He was almost afraid to ask what Kit meant by _most_ of the men.

“Changed, times have,” Yoda said, his ears drooping.

“There’s a lot more going on than you’re privy to, Kenobi,” Mace said.

“Oh yes, and none of it good, from what I see here,” he said. “Tell me, what’s to become of Cody and the rest of the clones in the creche?”

“That’s none of your-”

“I believe the traditional punishment is to send them back to Kamino, yes?” Plo interrupted. “They’ll be reconditioned, if possible.”

Obi-Wan wasn’t sure what that meant, but felt the spike of fear that went through Cody at the words. Judging by the winces of some of the Council members, they felt it, too.

“Sirs,” Cody said, taking a step forward. “Please. I’m their commander. If anyone is responsible-”

“Absolutely not,” Obi-Wan said. “Maybe _you’re_ all willing to turn a blind eye to this and let good men take a fall for something that was never their fault, but I’m not.”

“Kenobi,” Mace started, “you can’t-”

“If Cody’s Ghosts are unfit to be in the field, then assign them here. To the creches.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Mace said. “I know you have a thing about trying to save everyone, but it won’t work in this situation. What would they even do?”

“What they’ve been doing.” Obi-Wan spread his hands, smiling. “Guard the younglings. Spend time with them. Get them used to each other.”

“This is the _Jedi Temple,_ Crechemaster,” Yarael Poof interjected. “What possible danger could the younglings face, here?”

“What possible danger could they face in a museum?” Obi-Wan folded his arms over his chest. “And if you don’t think that younglings are perfectly capable of getting into danger all on their own then clearly you’ve never spent any time in the creche.”

Poof’s neck stretched to its full length. “You dare…”

“Enough!” Yoda rapped his stick on the floor again. “A member of this Council you are not, Young Kenobi. Question our decisions you may not!”

Plo’s hologram was tapping his mask. “He may be onto something here, you know. What harm could it do to allow it as an experiment?”

“Agree, I do,” Yaddle said, weighing in for the first time since the meeting had started. “Good it will be for the younglings. Good, also, for the clones.”

Arguing broke out amongst the Council, some agreeing with Plo and Yaddle while others sided with Yoda and Mace. Obi-Wan took the opportunity to step closer to Cody, who was now leaking a confusing mix of emotions. His face, however, was the same hard mask.

“I am profoundly sorry, Cody,” he said. “I had no idea that the Council had gotten this bad. Or that your own situation was, well…”

“Did you mean it?”

The question was so quiet he almost missed it. Then Cody turned his head and their gazes locked. _There_ was the vitality he’d been missing. The fire and passion and raw _life_ shone in those golden brown eyes. Obi-Wan’s heart hammered.

“Of course I meant it.” He reached out for Cody before he caught himself, dropping his hand. Now was definitely _not_ the time for such thoughts. And definitely not in front of the Council.

“That is,” he continued, “as long as it’s something you want as well. I want to help you, not override your free will like-”

_“Yes,”_ Cody said, the air practically vibrating with the strength of the word. “If they’ll allow it, then yes, please.”

Obi-Wan resisted the urge to reach for him again.

“And who would you expect to be in charge of this ‘experiment’?” Mace asked. “Kenobi? He’s only a crechemaster!”

“Capable he is,” Yaddle said. “Or a crechemaster he would not be.”

“Both of us,” Obi-Wan said, daring to interrupt.

“Oh, now what?” Mace groaned.

“Both of us should be in charge.” Obi-Wan gestured at Cody. “We can _share_ the responsibility. I know how the creches work and he knows how the clones operate. An equal partnership, which is how it should always be.”

“That seems like a reasonable compromise,” Plo said. Judging by the frustrated look Yoda shot him Obi-Wan half expected his holo-emitter to start malfunctioning.

“What about the rest of the 212th?” Kit tilted his head, grinning. “Are you going to adopt them, too?”

“Why not?” Obi-Wan asked over the renewed objections of the Council. “Our numbers were declining even before the start of the war, and now that you’re throwing every able-bodied Jedi and their young Padawan into the maw of this senseless fight there’s plenty of room to house an entire battalion right here in the Temple!”

Beside him he heard Cody draw in a shaking breath.

“Impossible,” Poof said.

“Ridiculous!” Even Piell added.

“Discuss this we should,” Yaddle said. “Many things to debate we have.”

“It would be nice to see the halls filled again,” Adi Gallia murmured. “An entire battalion just for the creches might be excessive, but for the Temple as a whole…”

“Dismissed you are,” Yoda announced, waving a clawed hand at Obi-Wan and Cody. “Leave now you will. Much to debate you have given us.” He didn’t sound particularly happy about it, but Yaddle winked at them and Kit gave them a subtle thumbs up.

“We’ll let you know when we’ve reached a decision on this,” Mace said. “Now go back to your creche and stay there. I’m sure the younglings need you.”

_And we don’t_ remained unspoken, but Obi-Wan got the message anyway. He bowed to the Council.

“Thank you for your time, Councilmembers. I know we can trust your wisdom on this matter.”

Cody saluted and then the two of them beat a hasty retreat from the Council Chamber.

Obi-Wan breathed a sigh of relief as the doors closed behind them.

“Well, that certainly took some unexpected turns,” he said, pushing the button to call the lift.

The doors opened immediately and they entered.

“Thank you for trying, sir. I mean Obi-Wan,” Cody corrected. “That’s more than anyone has done for us before.”

“Which is _wrong,”_ Obi-Wan said, feeling some of his anger flare up again. “Cody, you’re worth fighting for. You all are! You’re worth so much more than what they seem to think!” He grasped both of Cody’s shoulders. “They may not be willing to see it, but I do.”

There was a pause.

“Permission to kiss you?” Cody asked.

Obi-Wan blinked, his anger evaporating in an instant. He realized just how close they were standing. He could count all the flecks in Cody’s eyes and follow the shape of his of his mouth.

“After the day we’ve both had, I think we deserve it.”

“Yes?”

“Yes!”

Their lips met. All other thoughts fled and he sighed into it, losing himself in the moment.

It had been a few years since his last encounter, but Cody was slow and patient with him and very, very methodical. He leaned against the wall for support and Cody pressed against him, all hard armor and soft mouth. Obi-Wan shifted his grip, one hand slipping around Cody’s back and the other reaching up so he could run his fingers over that short, dark hair.

They were still kissing when the doors slid open on the creche level.

“You owe me five cookies,” Rana announced.

They sprang apart to find the very smug Duros girl standing in the hallway with Five-Eight, whose formerly white armor was now covered with finger paint.

“Kriff, you work fast,” Five-Eight said, staring at them.

Obi-Wan could feel heat burning in his face. “Rana, what are you doing out here?”

She grinned up at him. “Jenec sensed you guys were coming back and Nipper wanted to show off his new armor.”

“Nipper?” Obi-Wan repeated, his thoughts lost in a swirl.

Nipper, formerly Five-Eight, beamed at them. “Yeah! They came up with a name for me! Seeing as I keep calling ‘em nippers.”

“Congratulations, Nipper,” Cody said, moving off the lift.

“Er, yes. Congratulations.” Obi-Wan moved to join him. “Perhaps now we should head back to the creche?”

“You still owe me five cookies,” Rana said as the group of them headed down the hall.

“Yes, ma’am.” Nipper saluted her, and despite his lingering embarrassment Obi-Wan thought that maybe this was a promising sign of things to come.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when you thought it was safe to return to the creche...

Cody was still trying to process what happened in the lift when he realized the noise level was getting louder as they approached the door to the clan’s creche. It sounded happy, at least, and a glance at Obi-Wan didn’t reveal any signs of concern. Or at least not until Rana raced ahead to open the door.

“Hurry up,” she told Five- she told Nipper. “We have to help them!”

The door opened to reveal a war. There were numerous younglings Cody didn’t recognize, including a nautolan chasing after Porg with a foam lightsaber.

“Oh dear,” Obi-Wan said, stepping into the playroom.

Cody was quiet, taking in the situation before them.

Waxer and Boil, their armor looking more colorful than he remembered, were half-mummified in ribbon, or possibly explosive restraining cords. The two twi’leks from Gurrcat were guarding them along with a young Mon Calamari he didn’t recognize. Wooley was staggering around with at least four younglings hanging off of him. Rana tackled him and he went down on a pile of pillows with a theatrical wail that was almost drowned out in the cheering from his captors.

“I think my men are losing.” Cody watched as Snowy stood on Wooley’s chestplate and roared, waving her arms. “Are the creches always like this? Maybe being pulled from the battlefield won’t be such a change after all.”

The Cerean woman, Anea, walked over to join them. “Archix Clan couldn’t overcome their curiosity, so they came to investigate the rumor of clones in the creche.”

Porg ran by again, now chased by a good dozen screaming, hooting, warbling younglings, though he made sure not to get too far ahead of them while also dodging various other obstacles, both living and furniture-shaped. He, too, was sporting repainted armor. And a gold stripe down his nose.

“Gurrcat Clan and the young troopers here welcomed them, but when I suggested a painting session it quickly devolved into armor painting.” Anea looked at Cody. “Your men assured me it was alright, Commander. I hope you aren’t upset?”

Cody shook his head. “It’s fine, ma’am,” he said, watching as Nipper scooped up Snowy and held the young wookiee upside down, much to her delight.

“I’m glad they can all relax and enjoy themselves after the day’s events.” Obi-Wan ran a hand over his mouth, but it wasn’t enough to wipe off his smile.

Anea hummed. “I don’t envy you having to separate the two groups once this is all over.”

Cody glanced at Obi-Wan, who had the audacity to wink at him.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “If only something could be done to keep the clones here, instead.”

Anea laughed. “Oh, yes indeed. The children would be over the moons about it. But I’m sure that their General would miss them.” She inclined her head towards Cody. “Who _is_ that lucky Jedi, if I may be so bold as to ask?”

The lingering sweetness in his mouth soured and Cody drew himself up to his full height.

“It’s General Stronzo, ma’am.”

Her eyes widened and she took a step back.

 _“Finik?_ They gave him… I mean, I’m sure he’s matured into a- a strong and capable Master.” She frowned, not sounding remotely convinced.

Porg came around for another lap and finally noticed them standing there.

“Commander!” He pulled up short, trying to salute, only to stumble as the pursuing younglings crashed into him.

“MASTER OBI!” Helt dropped the three foam sabers he’d been using to rescue Snowy from Nipper and launched himself at the crechemaster.

Obi-Wan dropped to his knees to receive him as the war ground to a sudden halt. The rest of Gurrcat Clan- and a portion of Archix- echoed Helt’s cry and surged toward him.

The clones managed to regain their feet and clustered around Porg, looking somewhat sheepish.

“We can explain, sir…” Boil started, unraveling a long blue ribbon from his arm.

“I see you’ve all acquired new paint in the short time I’ve been gone,” Cody said, trying not to smile.

“We couldn’t disappoint the kids,” Wooley said, whose armor now featured a smiling sun and what might have been some dismembered droids who somehow managed to be bleeding.

“Some of them were still scared.” Porg scratched his nose, flaking away some of the paint. “So it was, uh, art therapy.”

Cody clucked his tongue. “I’m disappointed in you lot. One of the most elite units in the GAR and you can’t even take down a group of younglings?”

Nipper grinned as the rest of them breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, to be fair, sir, they are Jedi younglings.”

“And they had superior numbers,” Waxer added.

Cody was about to say something in response when he felt someone tapping on his leg. He looked down to see the Rodian girl Keeku staring up at him, wringing her hands.

“Is something wrong?” He knelt before her, glancing over at Obi-Wan, who had disappeared in a swarm of younglings.

Keeku nodded and motioned him closer. He leaned in close and she cupped a hand around his ear to whisper.

“You need a hug.”

Cody grinned. “I need a hug?”

She nodded again. Behind her his brothers were making faces at him. Waxer clutched his chest. Wooley made a heart shape with his hands.

“I guess you’d better give me one, then.” He opened his arms, ignoring the others as Keeku stepped in and wrapped her arms around his neck.

For all that he liked to roll his eyes at how his hardened troopers had been conquered by a group of younglings, he was just as guilty as the rest of them.

Smirking, Waxer gave him the sign for “pinned down by the enemy.” Cody’s own gesture back was a lot more direct.

“Thank you for saving us,” Keeku said into his armor and his heart melted a little more.

“It was my honor, miss.”

Behind him he heard Obi-Wan clear his throat.

“Keeku, would you mind if I borrowed Cody for a bit?”

The Rodian girl released Cody’s neck and darted between his brothers, right into the arms of a pudgy nautolan youngling with a spectacular amount of freckles on their _ahwey_.

Cody stood and turned to face Obi-Wan.

“Can I help with something, sir? Obi-Wan.”

Anea called for storytime and the younglings forcibly dragged the other clones over to listen.

“It’s more what I can help you with, I hope.” Obi-Wan smiled, stepping a little closer.

“Crechemaster Anea has agreed to stay a bit longer, so I thought perhaps you could join me for a late lunch in the cafeteria.”

Cody considered making a joke about being thought of as a cheap date, but taking things slow was a good idea and he could understand Obi-Wan not wanting to be too far away from the kids right now. If anything, it was a testament to his interest that he was willing to leave them at all.

“I wouldn’t mind something to eat,” he said.

Obi-Wan’s fingers ghosted along his arm.

“Do you always wear your armor?”

Cody chuckled. “We have civvies, but I didn’t think to bring any for the mission, so all I have under this is my blacks.”

“Ah. Of course.” Obi-Wan looked him up and down, licking his lips. “I- I believe I have a spare robe in my room, if you’d like to get out of that armor for a while.”

“Why, Crechemaster Kenobi, are you asking me to slip into something more comfortable?”

Grinning, Cody watched as Obi-Wan’s face shaded towards red.

“I just thought-” Obi-Wan paused, closing his eyes to take a deep breath. When he opened them again there was a glint that hadn’t been there before. “Perhaps I am. I hope that isn’t a problem?”

“Not at all.” It was Cody’s turn to lick his lips. “Please, lead the way.”

He could feel small eyes (and some bigger ones) on them as Obi-Wan led him to a door in the back. He was already loosening bits of his armor and the gurgle from his stomach reminded him not to get too far ahead of himself. _Slow and steady,_ he thought, as they walked through what was evidently the barracks for the younglings to another door.

“Forgive the mess,” Obi-Wan said, ushering him into a small bedroom. “I wasn’t expecting any company.”

Artwork papered the walls, clearly gifted by the younglings. There was a variety of other craft projects as well, some identifiable, others mystifying. Books crowded the numerous bookshelves and in one corner was a bed that seemed to be only a step or two above what he himself usually slept in. A small window opened onto an unimpressive view of one of the towers and also provided a bit of afternoon light.

While the room was a little cluttered, it wasn’t what Cody would have considered messy. Yet Obi-Wan still attempted to tidy up as he made his way over to a small closet, making excuses as he went. Cody continued pulling off pieces of his armor, setting them on a nearby table that housed a small plant and several empty teacups.

“Here we go! This one’s only lightly singed from an accident with…”

Cody looked up as the explanation trailed off and found Obi-Wan staring at him. It warmed him right through.

“Seppie attacks and singed robes?” He placed the last shin guard on the table. “Just how dangerous is it to hang around you?”

Obi-Wan blinked and then averted his eyes, holding out the robe.

“Oh, well, I’m hardly dangerous, but a crechemaster’s job is fraught with unexpected peril. Usually at the hands of the younglings.”

Cody was amused and oddly charmed by Obi-Wan’s apparent concern for his modesty, though he wouldn’t have thought his blacks were that scandalous. Skintight, yes, but they covered everything they needed to.

“I guess I’ll have to trust my men to survive them for a little longer.”

He wrapped himself in the robe, which was soft and warm and smelled like Obi-Wan. It was a little short on him and tight in the shoulders, but it still worked. There were a couple of singe marks near the hem, courtesy of a deadly saber battle with very short opponents, no doubt.

“There. How do I look?”

Obi-Wan turned around again and the soft noise he made was answer enough.

“You… look fine,” he said. “Come, let me show you the wonders of the cafeteria.”

“A firefight and dinner? You really know how to treat a guy right.” Smiling, Cody followed him back out into the playroom.

“Trust me,” Obi-Wan said. “Our day has only just begun.”

Anea was telling a story that involved a Jedi and a lot of tookas. Even his brothers seemed enthralled, although a couple of them turned to gawk. Rana saw them, too, and whispered something to Nipper. Probably a demand for more cookies.

If by some miracle they managed to get reassigned to the creche he might have to take their ex-shiny aside and give him some remedial lessons in betting. Actually he should do that either way, but the idea of being reassigned here on a permanent basis was… well. Best not to get his hopes up. At least there was a good meal to look forward to and good company to go with it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner in the Temple's cafeteria isn't exactly romantic, but it's the company that counts.

Obi-Wan sat across from Cody as they ate and tried not to stare. The borrowed robe wasn’t the best fit, but it was  _ his robe _ and Cody was  _ wearing it. _ Why that made a difference he didn’t know, but he felt a warm glow in his chest at the sight. The way the material clung to those broad shoulders was interesting in  _ other _ ways that he was doing his best to ignore.

“Do you get your accent from Jango Fett, too?”

He didn’t realize he’d said it out loud until Cody laughed. The very air around him seemed to brighten with it and Obi-Wan couldn’t understand why the whole cafeteria wasn’t captivated.

“Yeah, I guess we did.” Cody stabbed another cube of meat with his fork and waved it in the air. “He was there for a lot of our training. Kinda natural that we’d pick up more from him than just tactics and a few bruises.” His eyes gleamed. “And our good looks, of course.”

Obi-Wan’s face heated. Cody said it like a joke, but it was true. He’d never met Jango, and given the man’s reputation he hoped he never would, but the clones? He doubted any of them had trouble finding dates when they wanted them. He also wondered if the people who claimed that clones all looked alike and were interchangeable had ever actually met any. Obi-Wan had only spent a day with them and could easily tell them all apart. Especially Cody. There was something almost magnetic about him, even beyond those golden eyes and teasing grin.

“You alright?”

Jolted from his thoughts, Obi-Wan smiled.

“Yes, thank you, just tired, I suppose.” 

It was true, even if it wasn’t the whole truth.  _ “Sorry, I was lost in your eyes” _ seemed a little mawkish, particularly for a first date. Pre-date? Date in potentia? Or perhaps just dinner between friends.

“Fighting can take a lot out of you,” Cody said. “Especially if you aren’t used to it. But I have to say, you handled yourself pretty well back there. For a teacher.” He arched a brow in challenge.

“You’ve met Gurrcat Clan, right?” Obi-Wan chuckled. “You won’t last long as a teacher without fast reflexes and children have a remarkable ability to get themselves into some unlikely situations.”

“Tell me about it.” Cody shook his head. “Back on Kamino I knew a cadet who thought it was a good idea to take a nap wrapped in the bomb racks of ships. How he managed not to blow himself up or get dropped on the target with the rest of the payload is anyone’s guess.”

Obi-Wan stared at him. “They dropped  _ bombs _ on you?” 

Cody shrugged, straining the seams of the borrowed robe. “Just stunners. We had to get used to combat situations somehow.”

His free hand rested on the table and Obi-Wan reached for it, brushing his fingers across rough knuckles.

“Cody, I’m so sorry,” he said. “I’ve never liked how easily the Order simply  _ accepted _ the servitude of you and your- your brothers without doing anything to fix it. And after the way the Council behaved this afternoon…” He frowned. “It’s wrong.”

Cody spread his hand, allowing Obi-Wan to lace their fingers together.

“You aren’t responsible for their decisions, Obi-Wan,” he said. “And you haven’t wronged me.”

Between the physical contact and the smile Cody offered him Obi-Wan could feel goosebumps starting along his arms.

“I, ah, I’ve tried not to.”

“If you were my General… if more generals were like you I think we’d all be better off.”

Cody cupped Obi-Wan’s hand in both of his and bent down to brush a kiss against his fingers. Obi-Wan went to say something smooth and charming, but the words seemed to be stuck in his throat.

Cody released his hand and went back to eating. “Of course, if you were my General, I doubt we’d be able to do this.”

“It’s a good thing I’m just a lowly crechemaster, then,” Obi-Wan said, recovering some of his wit.

“There’s nothing lowly about you.” Cody paused, looking him up and down. “Except maybe your height.”

Obi-Wan almost choked on his tea. Before he could retaliate, however, there was a shout from the entryway.

“MASTER OBI!”

A very tall brown-and-cream Selonian was rushing their way, going down on all fours to speed up the process. A garish green stripe ran down his back from snout to tail.

“Zip?” Obi-Wan pushed his chair back just as Zip lunged for him, throwing his arms around him in a crushing hug.

“MASTER OBI YOU ARE THE BEST!” Zip all but squeaked.

Others in the cafeteria were beginning to take notice, but those familiar with the Selonian and his antics soon lost interest.

“I’m glad you think so.” Wheezing, Obi-Wan patted Zip’s arm. “But what is this-”

“THAT DROID- I mean, that droid you sent me is the most nifting thing, ever!” He lowered his voice and stepped back, but he was very nearly vibrating in place.

“The- oh, you mean Clanky?” Obi-Wan glanced at Cody, who wasn’t bothering to hide his amusement.

“YES! I mean, yes! And he insists I call him that! Can you believe it?” Zip was grinning, all of his whiskers pushed forward in his excitement. He glanced over at Cody and froze.

“Oh! Uh, so sorry, Master! Forgive my intrusion!”

Cody’s eyebrows shot up. “Master?”

Obi-Wan laughed. “You’ll have to forgive Zip, he doesn’t get out of his lab very often. Zip?” He touched the Selonian’s arm to make sure he had his attention. “I’d like you to meet Commander Cody of the 212th Battalion. Cody, this is Zip, also known as Knight-Specialist Kirun Greadann, our resident tech expert.”

“A clone?! Here?” Zip groomed his facial fur; a sign, Obi-Wan knew, of nervousness.

“It’s nice to meet you, ah, Zip.” Cody held out his hand. “How’s Clanky doing?”

Zip looked at Obi-Wan for permission before shaking the proffered hand. 

“Clanky? Oh, yes! He’s fine! Much better now that I’ve deleted the line of code that assures him that talking to a Jedi will mean his death.” He slapped his tail on the floor. “I don’t know who programs those droids, but they should be fired. Buggy as heck, full of conflicting commands which, come to think of it, might explain why they’re so neurotic. And there’s so much wasted space in their memories! Which this unit- Clanky- has been filling up with personality. Do you think they’re all like that?”

Obi-Wan nudged him again and Zip finally released Cody’s hand.

“Sorry. This is just really great, you know?”

I’m glad you think so,” Cody said, flexing his fingers.

“Have you been drinking caf again, Zip?”

Zip’s dark eyes went wide. “What? Me? No! Of course not! Ha, not after last time! No, I never!”

“He set the lab on fire last time,” Obi-Wan told Cody. “Master Windu happened to be visiting at the time.”

Cody managed a very unconvincing cough.

“It was only a _small_ burn and anyway, no, no more caf for me!” Zip groomed his face again. “Anyway! Uh, I should get going! Things to do, you know! I just wanted to say thanks! And I have some more tests to run but I can get Clanky back to you tomorrow. Unless you need him sooner?” His ears flattened and his nose twitched in silent plea.

“Tomorrow is fine, Zip. Any longer than that, though, and I may send the Gurrcats over to spring him out.”

Zip perked up again. “I wouldn’t mind! But they won’t have to spring him, I promise!” He bobbed up and down. “Okay, bye!” He turned and went zipping away.

“Wow,” Cody said. “He’s energetic.”

“To put it mildly, yes.” Obi-Wan smiled. “Zip was in Archix Clan while I was an assistant. He’s come a long way since then.”

“I’m sure the younglings will be glad to know that Clanky is safe in his jittering hands.”

“Indeed.” Chuckling, Obi-Wan gathered their trays. “And speaking of them, I suppose it’s time we head back.”

“If you say so.” 

They stood, and as Obi-Wan went to return the trays Cody walked with him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe… maybe we can take the long way back,” Obi-Wan decided. “I can show you the Room of a Thousand Fountains.”

Cody smiled at him. “Sounds perfect.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cody and Obi-Wan take a stroll through the garden, but there's another surprise waiting for them when they get back.

The Room of a Thousand Fountains turned out to be an enormous indoor garden. Cody had to curb the urge to check for clankers in the bushes, but with Obi-Wan prattling away beside him telling him about the origin of this flower and that rare tree, he soon managed to relax and enjoy the view.

_ Scenery _ wasn’t something he had much time to appreciate, unless it was in the middle of a battlefield between salvos. The lush plant life and bright flowers were a damn sight better than charred landscapes with smoking droid chassis and brothers yelling for help. He moved closer, bumping arms with Obi-Wan.

“So, what do you think?” Obi-Wan looked up at him, smiling. 

A beam of late afternoon sun lit them both, though he was probably imagining the feeling of warmth.

“I think most men would be content with bringing me flowers rather than trying to give me an entire garden.” Another nudge and a smile.

Obi-Wan blushed. “Yes, well, it was rather last minute and I wasn’t sure what you liked.”

Cody laughed. ”I like it,” he said, his gaze drifting to their surroundings. “It feels… peaceful.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Obi-Wan’s fingers brushed against his. “We bring the children here sometimes when we’re teaching them how to meditate.”

“They don’t get distracted by the… everything?” Cody gestured at their surroundings. A brightly-colored bird trilled from a nearby tree and there was an answering call farther away.

“That’s part of teaching them to meditate.” Smiling, Obi-Wan turned to face him and fell silent.

“What?” Cody prompted as the silence continued. “Do I have something on my face?” He reached up to wipe his mouth.

“No, no.” Obi-Wan chuckled. “It’s just that you really are quite… remarkable.”

His eyes had gone soft, shading more to blue in the shadowed light. Cody held still as Obi-Wan reached out, his callused fingers ghosting along the side of his face, starting at the scar near his eye and then trailing gently downward to the one on his jaw.

“Hardly remarkable,” Cody said, warmed by the touch. He wondered if the rules were different for crechemasters than for the rest of the Jedi. “There are millions more just like me.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “Not like you.” His hand drifted down to straighten the folds of Cody’s robe. “None of you are alike. None are interchangeable. And I am so very glad I got a chance to meet even a few of you.”

Cody’s eyes almost fluttered closed as Obi-Wan reached up again to cup his cheek. He leaned into the touch, savoring the moment he knew couldn’t last.

“You are special, Cody,” Obi-Wan said, his gentle voice ringing with conviction. “I know it and so do the children.” He leaned closer, kissing away the joke Cody would have made.

Long moments later Cody pressed his forehead against Obi-Wan’s and sighed.

“I should gather the men and return to the barracks,” he said. “It’s getting late.”

It wasn’t anything close to late; the sun was only just setting, but he had a feeling if he didn’t leave soon he’d never leave at all, and that could be bad for both of their reputations.

“Yes,” Obi-Wan agreed, his voice a little husky. “I’ve left the children with Anea for too long as it is.”

A few minutes later they managed to recompose themselves and made their slow way out of the garden.

“Are there really a thousand fountains?” Cody had only counted four, himself, but had let himself get distracted.

“I don’t know. I always lose track when I try to count them.”

Sharing a smile, they headed back to the creche.

When they arrived they found out that not only had Archix Clan not returned to their own rooms, but there were now several more clones added to the mix.

“We were just letting them know we were okay,” Wooley said. “But when we told them about what was happening some of them, uh, wanted to come and see for themselves.”

“You don’t mind, do you sir?” Trapper asked, looking slightly guilty at being caught carrying Wesk tauntaun-back around the room. The Bothan was grinning over his shoulder, urging his “steed” to keep going.

Cody scanned the room, counting three more troopers in addition to Trapper, dressed in civvies and with kit bags piled by the door. Blanket forts had also sprung up with more being constructed by teams of younglings working with conveniently taller troopers. His hopes of getting back to the barracks without incident began to dwindle.

Beside him Obi-Wan cleared his throat.

“You know,” he said. “There is plenty of room. If you all wanted to stay. Just for the night, of course.”

Of course. Cody gave him a long look as he weighed his options. Across the room Cale was deadlifting a giggling Togruta girl. Waxer and Boil were already placing sleeping mats in the forts and there seemed to be a serious danger of a pillowfight breaking out. He sighed.

“I suppose one night couldn’t hurt.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The younglings introduce their new friends to the joys of breakfast and Obi-Wan takes a very eye-opening trip to the Healing Halls to try and talk with General Stronzo about the 212th. Guest appearance by Vokara Che.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A mild warning for racist/bigoted language and attitudes. (Additional thanks to SLWalker for beta-ing, encouragement, and keeping me from crossing the line on this one.)

Obi-Wan watched as Cody conferred with some of his men over sleeping arrangements. The newest additions from the 212th had thought to bring overnight bags for everyone, which meant Cody was no longer dressed in a skin-hugging black bodysuit, but the soft pants and the loose shirt with its open V were every bit as appealing. He’d have to have words with Anea later for “accidentally” mixing up the dates on the planned sleepover between their clans, but some of those words might include “thank you.”

Cody chose that moment to glance over at him and smile. Obi-Wan’s heart thudded a little louder. It was almost embarrassing. He’d known the man less than a day and yet he couldn’t help feeling a sense of  _ rightness _ between them. It didn’t help that Cody was attractive, funny, and incredibly competent. Plus the way he dealt with the younglings was just so damned sweet. Most people had a tendency to talk down to younglings, but Cody- and his brothers- treated them as equals. It was no wonder Gurrcat Clan (and now Archix Clan as well) were in love with them. He hoped for everyone’s sake that the High Council would see reason and allow at least  _ some _ of Cody’s men to stay stationed in the Temple.

A few of the troopers turned out to be excellent storytellers as well, as was discovered during the traditional “Scary Stories by Saberlight” competition. Boil’s tale of a haunted suit of armor had enough funny parts in it to keep it from becoming  _ too _ scary and Nipper shared one from Kamino about a sea monster that would sneak into the cadet barracks at night to gobble up the “bad” clones. He ended it by grabbing Snowy, who screamed, setting off other screams and giggles throughout the crowd.

Cody had opted not to join in, but spent the evening seated by Obi-Wan, listening and adding comments of his own. Their arms brushed on occasion and their legs were touching and Obi-Wan had to remind himself that holding hands was definitely a bad idea.

Several younglings had fallen asleep during storytime and Obi-Wan was grateful for the help of the troopers in carrying them to the sleeping mats. He was feeling rather exhausted himself. The events of the morning felt as if they’d happened a week ago and with no sleep in between. He stifled a yawn and checked on Cody, who was getting ready to bed down amidst a nest of younglings on the far side of the room. They exchanged a lingering glance and a nod before lying down on their respective pallets.

“Are you married, now?” Jenec asked, snuggling closer.

“What?” Obi-Wan almost sat up again. “Who?”

“You ‘n Cody,” Jenec said, as if it were obvious. And maybe it was. 

“Whatever gave you that idea?” 

Jenec rolled on his side. The colorful cloth covering his lack of eyes nonetheless managed to give an impression of scrutiny.

“You sing in the Force when you’re together. I thought you knew.”

Miralukans as a group had a different sensitivity to the Force than most, but Jenec’s unusual interpretation of it was part of what had landed him in Gurrcat Clan. Obi-Wan struggled to think of a proper response.

“It’s pretty,” Jenec assured him. “Like a lullaby, but for morning. G’night, Master Obi.”

With that he pulled the blanket up almost over his head and was soon fast asleep, leaving Obi-Wan to puzzle over the possible meanings of what Jenec had told him. He drifted off thinking of duets and of lullabys that woke you up.

It was not one of the most restful nights. Several children had nightmares and required comfort and reassurance. Having the troopers nearby seemed to help. One would wrap a protective arm around the anxious dreamer and promise to shoot any monsters, clankers, or scary pieces of art that might threaten them. It was unorthodox, but it worked, and Obi-Wan could almost see the bonds between the two groups strengthening before his overtired eyes.

Breakfast the next morning turned out to be a revelation for the clones. The younglings were excited because it was Panna Cake Day in the cafeteria, but when they found out that none of their new friends had had them before then it turned into a Mission. They marched with the troopers down the halls to the cafeteria, holding their hands so they wouldn’t get lost.

Cody was quickly claimed by Rana and Helt and Obi-Wan was pleased to see how the young besalisk swung his other arms while they marched, even the malformed one. So much good was coming out of this experience already. If only the Council could see them now.

The procession did draw a bit of attention as they made their way to the cafeteria, but while there were a few frowns there were far more smiles. A few of the younger knights and padawans even greeted them, being sure to include the troopers in their “good mornings.”

A few arguments broke out regarding who got to sit where and which toppings were best, but soon they were all settled and eating. The expressions on the faces of the clones were as amusing as they were heartbreaking.

“You get to eat like this  _ all the time?!” _ Tooka asked, swallowing a mouthful of panna cakes with fresh berries.

Ariela shook her head, hair floofing as she did. “Not all the time, no. Sometimes it’s porridge.” She wrinkled her nose.

“Or eggs in veggie cups.” Ilar shuddered, grimacing to reveal the new gap in his teeth.

“Hey, I like those!” Nolaa stuck her tongue out at him.

“I’d eat all of that,” one of the new troopers, Trapper, announced. “It’s gotta be better than ration bars.”

“The crates they come in taste better than the bars themselves,” Wooley agreed.

“I’m pretty sure the crates are made out of the bars,” Cale joked.

A long discussion of the yuckiest food vs. the best one ensued. Obi-Wan ate his own cakes in thoughtful silence, wondering if the whole army subsisted on nothing but ration bars and prepackaged meal kits. A look to Cody showed that the commander was chewing slowly, seeming to savor every bite. Perhaps it was another thing to bring up with the Council. While he could understand that feeding an army was expensive they should still be able to eat real food once in a while.

The day progressed from good to better when they got back to the creche to find Zip waiting for them with a nervous Clanky.

“He’s still gonna be a little skittish,” Zip explained, “so try and be gentle with him, especially at first. But he’s been cleared and I made a few changes that should make life better for him.” His grin was full of needle-sharp teeth. “If he ever gets in range of any of his old compatriots they’re gonna be in for a surprise!”

Clanky was proudly paraded through the halls along with the troopers, who seemed a bit dubious about the new acquisition. Obi-Wan assured them that he trusted Zip’s reprogramming capabilities and that if the Selonian said Clanky was safe then he was.

Clanky by far preferred the company of the younglings to that of the clones and frequently attempted to hide behind them for protection. This was the cause of much amusement among the clan, who loved the idea of being able to “protect” someone from the Big Bad Soldiers.

Soon enough it was time for classes to begin. The troopers headed back to the barracks to refresh and catch up on their own chores. Cody made a point of pulling Obi-Wan aside and promising to see him later. If he was allowed. 

“Officially our mission is over,” he said, reaching out to brush Obi-Wan’s sleeve. “We haven’t received word yet about whether or not we’ll be deployed back into the field without General Stronzo or if… if we’re still confined to the barracks. And maybe the creche,” he added with a smile.

Obi-Wan smiled back at him. “I suppose we’ll just have to trust in the Force and hope you’re allowed to rejoin us in time for supper.”

Cody laughed. “The men are going to be spoiled after this. Food that doesn’t come out of a foil wrapper, sleeping arrangements that aren’t restricted, and being surrounded by people who smile when they see us?” He shook his head. “I just hope it doesn’t all go to their heads.”

“Yes, well.” Obi-Wan struggled to assimilate the casually admitted tidbits of information Cody had just dropped on him. “I’m sure it will all work out for the best. I’ll see you later, Cody.”

“Later, Obi-Wan.”

A casual brushing of hands and then Cody was gathering his men and leaving. Obi-Wan spent some time tidying up the playroom (although the troopers had done a good job of dismantling most of the blanket forts and leaving everything in neat stacks) and then decided it was time to pay a visit to the infirmary. He’d never heard of Master Stronzo, but after all that had happened he was curious.

The Healing Halls were comforting in their familiarity. As a crechemaster he tended to spend a lot of time here, both whenever someone in his care caught a cold or played a little too roughly, but also whenever he himself was gifted with whatever bugs were making the rounds of the creches. The padawans all knew him (and a few, in fact, remembered him from their own days in the youngling halls) and the few senior healers he saw greeted him warmly and asked how he was feeling.

“Tired, as usual.” He smiled. “But I don’t have any serious complaints. I was actually hoping to visit a patient, here. Master Stronzo?”

He didn’t miss the way the Cathar’s ears flicked back ever so slightly.

“I’ll have to ask if Master Finik is feeling up to company at the moment,” Minda said. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “He’s a bit  _ particular _ about his visitors.”

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that so? Hm, please tell him it’s regarding his battalion.” 

Another flick of the ears and her fur bristled. “I’ll be sure to do that. Please wait here, Master Obi-Wan.”

He rubbed his jaw while he waited, wondering just what he was getting himself into. Healer Minda Dhao was an implacable sort; it took a lot for her to dislike someone.

A few minutes later he was ushered into a private room with the man who was ultimately in charge of Cody and the 212th. He was human and appeared to be a few years older than Obi-Wan with just a few flecks of grey showing in his golden mane of hair. His eyes were a sharp blue and he was smiling widely despite being confined to a bed with a bacta cast on his leg.

“Why, hello there! You must be Obi-Wan Kenobi!” Stronzo beamed at him. “That healer woman said you wanted to speak to me? I must say, it’s very nice to have some company. Please, come in and have a seat!”

“Er, thank you.” Obi-Wan sat, thrown off somewhat by the man’s overt friendliness. I hope you don’t mind me intruding like this, but I-”

“Not at all! Not at all! It will be nice to have someone sensible to talk to for a change!” Stronzo laughed, a deep sound that brought an answering smile to Obi-Wan’s own face.

“Now!” Stronzo clapped his hands, rubbing his palms together. “That nurse said you wanted to speak to me about the 212th? Have they been sent back to Kamino for reconditioning yet? I do hope the next batch is a little more obedient.”

He beamed at Obi-Wan, who felt his goodwill curdle.

“I beg your pardon?” He was sure he’d heard right, but was having trouble believing it.

“That insubordinate sorry excuse for a commander, CC-2224? Have he and his ill-made copies been sent back to Kamino yet for reconditioning or termination or whatever they call it?” Stronzo chuckled. “It’s long overdue, if you ask me. I think those long-necked fr-  _ scientists _ on Kamino must have pissed into this batch before cooking them up and sending them to me!”

Obi-Wan’s vision greyed out and his throat closed in absolute rage. Even dealing with Bruck Chun at his worst hadn’t roused this level of anger in him and he was having trouble releasing it into the Force. 

“I believe there’s been a misunderstanding.” He plastered a fake smile across his mouth as he struggled to find words that weren’t strings of expletives shouted at the top of his lungs. “I was here on their behalf, hoping you might be willing to-”  _ never go near them again _ . “-to allow them to be reassigned to the Temple,” he finished.

Behind him he heard the door click open and the unmistakable soothing presence of Chief Healer Vokara Che washed over him.

Stronzo, however, seemed immune. 

“What?!” His eyes bugged from his head as his perfect pale skin turned a blotchy red. “Why in the Force’s name would I ever allow those damnable abominations of nature loose in our Temple? They’re soulless creatures spawned in a lab and their only purpose is to kill everything! Why I-” He was struggling to sit up, but gasped in pain as he moved his leg.

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to retaliate but felt a hand close on his shoulder, pouring calmness into him.

“General Stronzo,” Vokara said, her voice as tranquil as a reflecting pool. “You shouldn’t allow yourself to become so agitated.”

“You allow this utter fool into my room to talk nonsense at me about my own battalion? Who’s the one who’s out there on the front lines, risking his life so you can sit here all prim and safe in your damned medical torture chamber?”

“The clones, for one,” Obi-Wan said.

Vokara dug her fingers into his shoulder. “We appreciate the sacrifices that you and all the other masters, knights, and padawans have made for the Republic,” she started to say.

“Sacrifices I’ve had to make because I’ve been saddled with a bunch of treacherous humanoid automatons!” Stronzo scoffed. “Do you have  _ any idea _ of the difficulties I face out there every day,  _ healer?” _

Obi-Wan’s jaw clicked shut at that. He wanted to turn and see Vokara’s expression, but didn’t dare.

“I don’t think that’s something you’ll have to worry about any longer,” Vokara said with frosty humor.

“What? What are you talking about? Have you even been listening to me?” Stronzo pounded the armrest on the side of the bed.

“Oh, yes. Every word.”

From the corner of his eye Obi-Wan saw Vokara lift her commlink.

“Minda, would you please bring me the Conergin? Master Stronzo is becoming overly agitated and needs a rest.”

“Yes, Mistress Che!” Minda responded.

“I do not need a rest,” Stronzo said. “What I need is to stop being harassed by incompetents and fools!”

“Crechemaster Kenobi, please wait in the reception area while I help Master Stronzo.”

It was a voice that brooked no argument, and Stronzo’s accusations aside, Obi-Wan wasn’t a fool. Bowing to the Chief Healer he left the room, passing a wide-eyed Minda on the way.

It wasn’t long before Vokara joined him, her smile serene, but her eyes sharp.

“Crechemaster,” she said. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. I wasn’t alerted of your intentions until it was too late.”

“That’s quite alright,” he said, following as she gestured him toward her office. “I may owe you an apology as well. I had no intention of causing a disturbance. If I’d known he’d be like…” He trailed off. There were no words to describe what Stronzo had been like. At least none he’d use in polite company.

“Yes, Finik’s stay with us has been quite a revelation.” Vokara’s eyes flashed as she closed the door behind them. “And what exactly was your reason for visiting him today? Minda said something about the clones?”

“Yes.” Obi-Wan grimaced, trying to forget all the ugly, hateful things Stronzo had said about Cody and his men. “Have you, ah, heard about our latest field trip?”

Vokara raised one blue brow ridge at him. “I heard you managed to run into more trouble than usual, but that everyone made it home without injury?”

“There were a few scrapes and bruises here and there, but thanks to Ghost Company we all made it home safe, yes.”

“That’s quite remarkable for a group of military malcontents.” She smirked.

“Indeed.” Obi-Wan smiled back at her. “Anyway, I spoke with the Council about it and suggested that perhaps they could be reassigned here to the Temple. To, ah, help foster a better sense of companionship between the troopers and the Jedi.”

Vokara gave him a long look and he tried his hardest not to blush.

“I see,” she said at last. “That sounds like an interesting proposition. What did the Council have to say about it?”

Obi-Wan sighed. “They said they’d discuss it and get back to me.

Vokara hummed, tapping a finger against her lips. “I’ll be making my own report to the Council regarding General Stronzo and his suitability for command. Perhaps I’ll put in a good word for your plan as well.” Her lekku twitched in a sign he recognized as amusement. “Having a few troopers around might help remind the Order about the cost of this war they’ve gotten us into, and Force knows they’ve been fighting hard for our cause. They deserve to have a little more  _ friendliness _ in their lives.

He tensed at the emphasis, but decided she was referring to Stronzo and his bigotry.

“Thank you, Vokara, I’d appreciate that a great deal. And again, I apologize for making a scene.”

“It wasn’t you who made the scene,” Vokara pointed out. “It was bound to happen sooner or later. I’m just glad I was on hand to witness most of it.”

Obi-Wan dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Thank you again. I hope the rest of your day is a bit more peaceful.” He turned to leave.

“Force willing,” Vokara said. “Oh, and Obi-Wan?”

He paused in the doorway, turning to look back at her.

“I hope you and your new friend enjoyed dinner last night.” She smiled. “If there are ever any personal matters you wish to discuss, my door is always open.”

“I’ll- I’ll keep that in mind.” Face burning he retreated to the relative safety of the creche.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't done so already, try googling the word 'stronzo' to see where and why I got the name.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan and Cody finally get a "real" date. The Council finally makes a few decisions. The future is about to change, one way or another.

Word got out and over the course of the next week the creches found themselves invaded not only by members of the 212th, but also a few from the 501st, who were on-planet while General Tachi was having her prosthetic leg upgraded. As much as Cody wanted to grumble about the troopers getting in the way of youngling training it was impossible to ignore how beneficial it was to both groups. Brothers with the shakes from too many missions or suffering the weight of too many losses came away shaking with mirth; a new light in their eyes. And the younglings themselves basked in all the attention and the opportunity to “teach” the troopers everything they knew, thus cementing the knowledge in their young minds.

Cody managed not to spend _every_ day with Gurrcat Clan, but he was in danger of being seen as a fixture there anyway. However, he also managed to spend time away from the Temple, but with Obi-Wan.

“This was your big secret?” Cody eyed the exterior of a somewhat shabby and unassuming diner. “Dex’s” lit the gloom in flickering neon.

“Don’t let appearances deceive you.” Obi-Wan rested a hand on his shoulder, his thumb describing a small arc back and forth over the soft material of the shirt Cody had borrowed from Rex. “While it may not be on the same level as the Skysitter, the food here at Dex’s is every bit as delicious, only with better portions and at only a fraction of the cost.”

Cody tilted his head. “Are you calling me a cheap date?”

“Never.” Obi-Wan squeezed his shoulder then allowed his hand to travel down to the small of his back as they approached the door. “You’re simply a man with refined tastes.”

“Really?” Cody nodded thanks as Obi-Wan held the door open for him. “Then why am I here with you?”

Obi-Wan laughed, swatting him as they entered Dex’s. A besalisk in a greasy apron welcomed Obi-Wan like an old friend, giving him a hug that looked bone-crunching. Once Cody himself had been introduced he found himself subjected to the same gesture and was grateful for his fortified genetics that kept him from wheezing at the chef-owner’s enthusiasm.

The food was every bit as delicious as promised. Even after almost a week of eating in the Jedi cafeteria it was several levels beyond what he was used to and his jaw ached as his salivary glands went into overdrive. He ignored the half-hypnotized looks Obi-Wan kept throwing his way and concentrated on savoring every bite. There was no telling when he’d get another meal like this and he wanted to enjoy it while he could.

Unfortunately it all came to a crashing halt when his comm beeped. He flipped it open, read the message, and felt all that food curdle in his stomach.

“Cody?” Obi-Wan frowned at him. “Is something wrong?”

“Yeah.” He tried to find the words to explain, then gave up and handed over his comm.

Obi-Wan read what it said and one eyebrow quirked up. “Stronzo’s been stripped of his Mastery and placed on probation.” He looked at Cody. “Shouldn’t that be a good thing?”

Cody shook his head. Sometimes he forgot just how far removed Obi-Wan was from the war. If their general had been removed from command it meant reassignment and might even mean the entire 212th would be disbanded and sent to other units. He’d failed. Despite his best efforts, he’d failed and his men were going to pay the price.

“This isn’t the end,” Obi-Wan said. “They could simply assign you to a new general. A better one. Or this could be a prelude to the Council assigning you to the creches.”

The Council was still “debating” that one and at this point Cody was no longer holding his breath. He nodded in the right places as Obi-Wan paid for dinner, assured Dex that everything was fine, and assured Cody of the same thing. He didn’t remember much of the drive back to the barracks, but he managed a smile as Obi-Wan kissed his cheek and told him to trust in the Force. The rest of the night was spent with his men, drinking bad jet juice and reminiscing about past triumphs. Quite a few of them now revolved around Gurrcat Clan. Cody’s heart broke a little more thinking of how disappointed the younglings would be when the troopers were shipped out.

Morning dawned far too early for his hangover and the bleep of his comm seemed loud enough to shatter his skull. The message was unwelcome, but expected: his presence was required in the High Council Chamber in one hour. He cruised through his morning ablutions on autopilot, dressed in armor that was sporting colorful new artwork, and headed to the Temple to hear the 212th’s fate.

Obi-Wan was waiting for him and he couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad one. At least he wouldn’t have to explain the outcome more than once, although telling the troops would be bad enough.

“They asked me to be here,” Obi-Wan murmured as they waited for the doors to open. “I choose to think that’s a good sign.”

Their fingers brushed, but Cody clenched his hands into fists, not wanting to get distracted right now. Besides, if the Council had any inkling of what was happening between them they’d both be punished.

The doors opened and they entered together. Cody tucked his helmet under his arm and studied the Councilmembers as he moved into the spotlit space in the center of the room. He recognized a few of them from various battles and could make guesses on a few more based on accounts he’d heard, but there were a couple who were a mystery, including the second Yoda. An hysterical voice in the back of his mind wondered if he wasn’t the only clone in the room.

"Our thanks you have for joining us," High General Yoda said. Cody noticed that his ears were flattened back a bit and his face seemed more pinched than usual. "Presented us with a tricky matter Crechemaster Kenobi did. Long did we meditate. Ask guidance of the Force. Unanimous our vote was not."

There was that pinched look again. Cody held his breath. Yoda turned, gesturing at his hairier counterpart.

"Wish to speak on this matter, Master Yaddle does. _Her_ decision this was."

Yaddle. Cody committed the name to memory, just in case. And she was a female… Yoda. Which made sense, he supposed, since little Yoda-lings had to come from somewhere, although that was not something he ever wanted to find himself thinking about.

Yaddle chuckled. Unlike Yoda, she seemed to be in a good mood and even _winked_ at Cody.

“My decision alone it was not,” she said. “Or a different path we would be taking.” Her voice was higher than Yoda’s but followed the same sentence restructuring.

From the corner of his eye he could see General Kit Fisto rubbing his hands together and grinning.

“Disappointing the matter with Finik Stronzo was,” she said, nodding at Cody and Obi-Wan. “Caught this sooner we should have. But an opportunity it also is. More than soldiers the clones are. Proved this they have, many times." She shot Yoda a look and then extended it to General Windu. "Proved this they have again this past week. Happy are our younglings. Happy too, are our soldiers. Agree, do you not, that lighter the Force is?”

Yoda grumbled his response. Windu cleared his throat.

“Let’s get on with this, shall we? There are other issues on the docket as well.”

Cody exchanged a look with Obi-Wan and felt hope kindle in his chest for the first time since receiving the comm message.

“Hurry this, you would, but important it is.” Yaddle leaned forward, her wrinkled face creasing into a smile. “Accepted Young Kenobi’s proposal is. Assigned to the creches Ghost Company will be.”

Cody released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. A week’s worth of stress seemed to drain right out of him and he almost missed what she said next.

“A test this will be. See, we shall, if from the brink of darkness we can return.”

“Let’s not get carried away, now,” Windu said, frowning.

Yaddle waved him off.

“With General Fisto the rest of the 212th will go. Safer they will be with him. Care he does for the lives of the troopers.”

“They may not care too much for _me_ if they don’t like swimming.” Fisto laughed. “We’ll be working with relief efforts, though, and I don’t needlessly spend lives like some people.”

For a moment the planes of his face hardened, giving him a threatening cast before he relaxed back into his usual affable smile.

Cody’s mind was reeling. “Thank you, sirs,” he managed to say. “We won’t let you down.”

It had worked. It had actually worked. The Ghosts would get to stay here and everyone else would be shipped out together. He’d heard good things about General Fisto. Well, good things and also something about him having an aversion to clothing, but Cody would take that over leading good men to slaughter any day.

He was aware that Obi-Wan was talking to the Council and they were replying, but he was having trouble following the conversation. Promises of good behavior. Talking about the younglings. General Koon asked about something and the words “another field trip” were mentioned. Ominous, but at least he knew he and his squad would be there to lend their support.

He answered questions when asked and since no one gave him any odd looks he assumed he managed to answer them coherently. All he wanted to do was get out of there and tell his men the good news; the news he never expected to receive.

Eventually Obi-Wan led him out of the room and down the hall to the lifts.

“Are you alright?”

Cody blinked at him. And then he smiled.

“This may be the most ‘alright’ I’ve been since Kamino,” he said. “Obi-Wan, I… I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for my brothers. And for me.”

Obi-Wan blushed. “I only did what was right.”

“You’ve done a hell of a lot more than that, _Crechemaster_. It’s more than most generals do for their troops and… thank you,” he repeated. Aware that there was still a chance somebody might be watching he settled for giving him a quick hug.

"You're very welcome, Cody," Obi-Wan said. "Although I admit I didn't do it for entirely selfless reasons."

"Oh?" Arching a brow he followed him onto the lift.

“Yes, this way I don’t have to deal with the collective tears of Gurrcat Clan as I explain that you left them all behind.”

Cody laughed. “It’s good to know the children will be happy to see us again.”

“The aren’t the only ones.” Obi-Wan smiled.

“That’s good to know.” Cody nudged a little closer. “Maybe we can all celebrate later.”

Obi-Wan looked up at him, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “I look forward to it.”

The celebration took the form of a party and everyone was invited. Ghost Company was there in full as well as a scattering of others from the 212th (though some preferred to celebrate amidst the more adult company of 79’s). Several troopers from the 501st showed up as well along with their general, who was apparently an old friend of Kenobi’s. Cody did his best not to be too jealous and distracted himself by playing with the younglings. _All_ of the clans were there and it occurred to him that this new assignment might not be the cakewalk that some people assumed it would be.

Select members of the Council dropped by, mostly for the sake of appearance, though Cody noticed they also helped themselves to a slice of the gargantuan cake Dex sent over for the occasion. It was disappearing fast, mostly into the stomachs of the younglings and troopers, both of whom were absolutely shameless about going back for seconds. And thirds. And in Porg’s case, fourths.

By the end of the evening after the crowds had left the banquet hall they’d commandeered looked like the aftermath of a fight. The colorful streamers were falling off the walls or torn away entirely and there were plates and cups strewn everywhere. Bodies were scattered across the floor, some individually and others in piles. Most of them were younglings, but here and there was evidence that clones had willingly sacrificed their freedom to be used as pillows. All of them were sound asleep.

“We’ll have our work cut out for us in the morning cleaning all of this up,” Obi-Wan said. “Are you sure you’re up for it?”

“Always.” Cody brushed his fingers across Obi-Wan’s cheek. “Every time.”

They kissed, soft and gentle under the dimmed lights of the banquet hall. From somewhere off to the left came a small, sleep-slurred voice.

“Y’owe me two more cookies.”

Nipper snored in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end, folks! What stated as a quick bit of fluff snowballed into a whole epic of fluff and I'm so very glad people have loved it as much as they have. One last chapter along the lines of "One year later..." and I think this will finally be wrapped up. 
> 
> Also, yes, as you may have noticed, Anakin isn't in charge of the 501st. Since Obi-Wan never went to Bandomeer there was no one willing to sacrifice their life for Qui-Gon and so the venerable Master never made it back from the mission. Another team was sent to help the Queen of Naboo and the universe wound up along a different track. Anakin and his mom are both alive, they're both free, thanks to Ani's racing skills, and they're both very very happy.


	13. One Year Later...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I attempt to wrap up all the loose ends.

It had been one year since that fateful field trip to the Museum of Light and Obi-Wan couldn’t believe how much things had changed… and how much they hadn’t.

Ghost Company was still helping with Gurrcat Clan, though they had moved from the barracks to some abandoned quarters within the Temple itself not long after the night of the party. Word of the endeavor somehow leaked to the press, who promptly started calling it “Trooper Daycare.” Holos of them in their finger-painted armor leading the younglings on a trip to the zoo had the public going wild. The Order’s approval rating hadn’t been this high in decades. It undoubtedly helped Yaddle unseat Yoda as Grandmaster and she used the opportunity to gentle some of the harsher strictures that had so long been a part of every Jedi’s life.

Many of the older Masters continued to adhere to their “traditions,” but the younger generation welcomed the changes with relief. Yaddle reminded everyone of the Code as it was taught in the crecheling halls:

_Emotion, yet peace._  
_Ignorance, yet knowledge._  
_Passion, yet serenity._  
_Chaos, yet harmony._ _  
_ Death, yet the Force.

The unfettered joy that shone so brightly from the creches gradually spread its way out to the rest of the Temple. Jedi who’d been out in the field for months on end made excuses to come back and left feeling reinvigorated.

While relationships and other forms of attachment were still treated with caution, they were no longer something to be shunned. Emotions, too, were something to be confronted and dealt with rather than ignored or “released into the Force.”

Obi-Wan and Cody were careful not to flaunt their own relationship, though they couldn’t avoid becoming an open secret within the Temple. Even with the the changes being made, there were times when it still caused them some stress. Obi-Wan had considered leaving the Order once Gurrcat Clan had graduated, but he wasn’t sure what he’d do if he wasn’t a crechemaster. He was also concerned about what might happen to Cody and his men if he left.

The war itself was stuttering to a halt. Zip’s smug comment about what would happen if Clanky got in range of other droids came to fruition sooner than expected. It was, of course, on another field trip that the Gurrcat’s ship had passed within range of a Separatist fleet. They hypered out again almost immediately, but in that time the virus Zip had stored in Clanky’s memory banks connected to the droid network and spread like wildfire. It was a variation of some of the work he’d done on Clanky himself; removing their fear of surrender and adding the knowledge that they had other choices.

By the time the Separatists figured out what had happened, half their army had defected or simply disappeared. They tried to stop it, of course, but by then it was too late and none of their measures worked to halt the spread of what became known as the “Freedom Virus.” Clanky became a folk hero to the battle droids, much to his own embarrassment. He preferred life in the creches and tended to stay safely ensconced in the Temple once word started to spread. All the younglings adored him and he made for a good, if still somewhat skittish, assistant when needed.

The Separatist leadership seemed to be in disarray as well. Asajj Ventress disappeared after killing General Grievous. Count Dooku remanded himself into Jedi custody and was placed in the untender care of Head Archivist Madame Nu. Darth Vader, formerly known as the fallen Jedi Xanatos, was attempting to hold things together, but his leadership skills were fractious at best. His Master, the mysterious Sith Lord who’d been behind the whole war, was never heard from again. Rumor had it that Vader had killed him, but as no one knew who he was, no one could confirm it.

On the Republic side of things the unexpected death of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine caused a mild panic and a great deal of speculation. What had the Supreme Chancellor been doing on the Hutt-aligned world of Tatooine? Why had he shown such a particular interest in the young and popular pod racer Anakin Skywalker? Skywalker himself only said that Palpatine had offered him outrageous sums of money to work for him but showed little interest in the plight of the slaves. “I had a bad feeling about him,” Skywalker was quoted as saying, “and I’ve learned to trust my instincts.”

Palpatine’s ship had been blown up by pirates as it attempted to exit Tatooine orbit. Authorities were still searching for the ones responsible, who were described as a brightly-colored band of Dathomiri male zabraks and their Nautolan pilot, known as Kilindi.

The Senate had been quick to swear in Bail Organa of Alderaan as the new Chancellor and one of his first acts was an attempt to de-escalate the war by doing what many thought should have been done in the first place: allowing the Confederacy of Independent Systems a chance to withdraw from the Republic peacefully.

Following on the heels of that he rammed through legislation forcing the Republic to recognize clones as sentients and citizens with all the inherent rights that entailed. He was, however, facing stiff opposition, particularly since he wanted the troopers to have the right to leave the army if they wanted to. Even with the war starting to break apart there were still a number of individuals- most of them part of Palpatine’s inner circle- who cautioned against showing any sign of weakness and insisted that the clones were a vital part of the war effort. It was infuriating, and Obi-Wan joined the troopers in their complaints about it.

Zip, who had been involved in a clandestine effort with certain contacts in the ExplorCorp, came forward with the paperwork to an entire planet located deep in Wild Space that was ripe for habitation. He confessed to Obi-Wan and Cody that he’d been planning to slice into the Senate in order to add certain rights-granting measures onto a guaranteed-to-pass bill in the hopes no one would look too closely at the fine print. Obi-Wan felt it was probably for the best that Organa had come into power before Zip could implement that particular plan and Zip reluctantly agreed, even though he said that Organa’s way was “less fun.”

The planet itself, at least, was formally recognized first by the ExplorCorp and then by the Republic’s own Astronav Survey Team. Wording made it clear that the planet belonged to the clones and no amount of bickering in the Senate from certain parties was able to change that. Especially since it was “discovered” that a colony had already set up a rudimentary outpost there. Clones who’d been discharged due to injury (or “injury” in cases where they had a particularly good relationship with their Jedi Generals) established enough of a presence to make it official; Keldab, as the former troopers named it, was theirs.

Obi-Wan hinted that perhaps they could go and see it for themselves once the colony was more settled. Cody hinted that he’d like that very much. Yaddle hinted that she was thinking of establishing a new temple if only she could think of a good place to set it and the right person to have in charge.

This time it was Rana who owed Nipper cookies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the kudos and comments and, of course, for reading along. I'm terrible at replying, but the support means a lot to me. This is just about the fluffiest ending I could manage and so I pass all the warm fuzzies on to you.


End file.
